Harriet Potter and the Deathly Hollows
by jacquisup
Summary: It's seventh year but they aren't going to school this year. It's up to them to finish this war. But it won't be easy. (I'm adding Neville and only Ron leaves them like the book.)
1. Chapter 1

7/13/19- 11/19/19

Harriet was bleeding. Clutching her right hand in her left and swearing under her breath, she shouldered open her bedroom door. There was a crunch of breaking china: She had trodden on a cup of cold tea that had been sitting on the floor outside her bedroom door.

"What the — ?"

She looked around; the landing of number four, Privet Drive, was deserted. Possibly the cup of tea was Dudley's idea of a clever booby trap. Keeping her bleeding hand elevated, Harriet scraped the fragments of cup together with the other hand and threw them into the already crammed bin just visible inside her bedroom door. Then she tramped across to the bathroom to run her finger under the tap.

It was stupid, pointless, irritating beyond belief that she still had four days left of being unable to perform magic . . . but she had to admit to herself that this jagged cut in her finger would have defeated her. She had never learned how to repair wounds, and now she came to think of it — particularly in light of her immediate plans — this seemed a serious flaw in her magical education. Making a mental note to ask Hermione how it was done, she used a large wad of toilet paper to mop up as much of the tea as she could, before returning to her bedroom and slamming the door behind her.

Harriet had spent the morning completely emptying her school trunk for the first time since she had packed it six years ago. At the start of the intervening school years, she had merely skimmed off the topmost three quarters of the contents and replaced or updated them, leaving a layer of general debris at the bottom — old quills, desiccated beetle eyes, single socks that no longer fit. Minutes previously, Harriet had plunged her hand into this mulch, experienced a stabbing pain in the fourth finger of her right hand, and withdrawn it to see a lot of blood.

She now proceeded a little more cautiously. Kneeling down beside the trunk again, she groped around in the bottom and, after retrieving an old badge that flickered feebly between SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY and POTTER STINKS, a cracked and worn-out Sneakoscope, and a gold locket inside which a note signed R.A.B. had been hidden, she finally discovered the sharp edge that had done the damage. She recognized it at once. It was a two-inch-long fragment of the enchanted mirror that her dead godfather, Sirius, had given her. Harriet laid it aside and felt cautiously around the trunk for the rest, but nothing more remained of her godfather's last gift except powdered glass, which clung to the deepest layer of debris like glittering grit.

Harriet sat up and examined the jagged piece on which she had cut herself, seeing nothing but her own bright green eye reflected back at her. Then she placed the fragment on top of that morning's Daily Prophet, which lay unread on the bed, and attempted to stem the sudden upsurge of bitter memories, the stabs of regret and of longing the discovery of the broken mirror had occasioned, by attacking the rest of the rubbish in the trunk.

It took another hour to empty it completely, throw away the useless items, and sort the remainder in piles according to whether or not she would need them from now on. Her school and Quidditch robes, cauldron, parchment, quills, and most of her textbooks were piled in a corner, to be left behind. She wondered what her aunt and uncle would do with them; burn them in the dead of night, probably, as if they were the evidence of some dreadful crime. Her Muggle clothing, Invisibility Cloak, potion-making kit, certain books, the photograph album Hagrid had once given her, a stack of letters, and her wand had been repacked into an old rucksack. In a front pocket were the Marauder's Map and the locket with the note signed R.A.B. inside it. The locket was accorded this place of honor not because it was valuable — in all usual senses it was worthless — but because of what it had cost to attain it.

This left a sizable stack of newspapers sitting on her desk beside her snowy owl, Hedwig: one for each of the days Harriet had spent at Privet Drive this summer.

She got up off the floor, stretched, and moved across to her desk. Hedwig made no movement as she began to flick through the newspapers, throwing them onto the rubbish pile one by one. The owl was asleep, or else faking; she was angry with Harriet about the limited amount of time she was allowed out of her cage at the moment.

As she neared the bottom of the pile of newspapers, Harriet slowed down, searching for one particular issue that she knew had arrived shortly after she had returned to Privet Drive for the summer; she remembered that there had been a small mention on the front about the resignation of Charity Burbage, the Muggle Studies teacher at Hogwarts. At last she found it. Turning to page ten, she sank into her desk chair and reread the article she had been looking for.

_ALBUS DUMBLEDORE REMEMBERED_

_by Elphias Doge_

_I met Albus Dumbledore at the age of eleven, on our first day at Hogwarts. Our mutual attraction was undoubtedly due to the fact that we both felt ourselves to be outsiders. I had contracted dragon pox shortly before arriving at school, and while I was no longer contagious, my pockmarked visage and greenish hue did not encourage many to approach me. For his part, Albus had arrived at Hogwarts under the burden of unwanted notoriety. Scarcely a year previously, his father, Percival, had been convicted of a savage and well-publicized attack upon three young Muggles._

_Albus never attempted to deny that his father (who was to die in Azkaban) had committed this crime; on the contrary, when I plucked up courage to ask him, he assured me that he knew his father to be guilty. Beyond that, Dumbledore refused to speak of the sad business, though many attempted to make him do so. Some, indeed, were disposed to praise his father's action and assumed that Albus too was a Muggle-hater. They could not have been more mistaken: As anybody who knew Albus would attest, he never revealed the remotest anti-Muggle tendency. Indeed, his determined support for Muggle rights gained him many enemies in subsequent years._

_In a matter of months, however, Albus's own fame had begun to eclipse that of his father. By the end of his first year he would never again be known as the son of a Muggle-hater, but as nothing more or less than the most brilliant student ever seen at the school. Those of us who were privileged to be his friends benefited from his example, not to mention his help and encouragement, with which he was always generous. He confessed to me in later life that he knew even then that his greatest pleasure lay in teaching._

_He not only won every prize of note that the school offered, he was soon in regular correspondence with the most notable magical names of the day, including Nicolas Flamel, the celebrated alchemist; Bathilda Bagshot, the noted historian; and Adalbert Waffling, the magical theoretician. Several of his papers found their way into learned publications such as Transfiguration Today, Challenges in Charming, and The Practical Potioneer. Dumbledore's future career seemed likely to be meteoric, and the only question that remained was when he would become Minister of Magic. Though it was often predicted in later years that he was on the point of taking the job, however, he never had Ministerial ambitions._

_Three years after we had started at Hogwarts, Albus's brother, Aberforth, arrived at school. They were not alike; Aberforth was never bookish and, unlike Albus, preferred to settle arguments by dueling rather than through reasoned discussion. However, it is quite wrong to suggest, as some have, that the brothers were not friends. They rubbed along as comfortably as two such different boys could do. In fairness to Aberforth, it must be admitted that living in Albus's shadow cannot have been an altogether comfortable experience. Being continually outshone was an occupational hazard of being his friend and cannot have been any more pleasurable as a brother._

_When Albus and I left Hogwarts we intended to take the then-traditional tour of the world together, visiting and observing foreign wizards, before pursuing our separate careers. However, tragedy intervened. On the very eve of our trip, Albus's mother, Kendra, died, leaving Albus the head, and sole breadwinner, of the family. I postponed my departure long enough to pay my respects at Kendra's funeral, then left for what was now to be a solitary journey. With a younger brother and sister to care for, and little gold left to them, there could no longer be any question of Albus accompanying me._

_That was the period of our lives when we had least contact. I wrote to Albus, describing, perhaps insensitively, the wonders of my journey, from narrow escapes from chimaeras in Greece to the experiments of the Egyptian alchemists. His letters told me little of his day-to-day life, which I guessed to be frustratingly dull for such a brilliant wizard. Immersed in my own experiences, it was with horror that I heard, toward the end of my year's travels, that yet another tragedy had struck the Dumbledores: the death of his sister, Ariana._

_Though Ariana had been in poor health for a long time, the blow, coming so soon after the loss of their mother, had a profound effect on both of her brothers. All those closest to Albus — and I count myself one of that lucky number — agree that Ariana's death, and Albus's feeling of personal responsibility for it (though, of course, he was guiltless), left their mark upon him forevermore._

_I returned home to find a young man who had experienced a much older person's suffering. Albus was more reserved than before, and much less lighthearted. To add to his misery, the loss of Ariana had led, not to a renewed closeness between Albus and Aberforth, but to an estrangement. (In time this would lift — in later years they reestablished, if not a close relationship, then certainly a cordial one.) However, he rarely spoke of his parents or of Ariana from then on, and his friends learned not to mention them._

_Other quills will describe the triumphs of the following years. Dumbledore's innumerable contributions to the store of Wizarding knowledge, including his discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, will benefit generations to come, as will the wisdom he displayed in the many judgments he made while Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. They say, still, that no Wizarding duel ever matched that between Dumbledore and Grindelwald in 1945. Those who witnessed it have written of the terror and the awe they felt as they watched these two extraordinary wizards do battle. Dumbledore's triumph, and its consequences for the Wizarding world, are considered a turning point in magical history to match the introduction of the International Statute of Secrecy or the downfall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named._

_Albus Dumbledore was never proud or vain; he could find something to value in anyone, however apparently insignificant or wretched, and I believe that his early losses endowed him with great humanity and sympathy. I shall miss his friendship more than I can say, but my loss is as nothing compared to the Wizarding world's. That he was the most inspiring and the best loved of all Hogwarts headmasters cannot be in question. He died as he lived: working always for the greater good and, to his last hour, as willing to stretch out a hand to a small boy with dragon pox as he was on the day that I met him._

Harriet finished reading but continued to gaze at the picture accompanying the obituary. Dumbledore was wearing his familiar, kindly smile, but as he peered over the top of his half-moon spectacles, he gave the impression, even in newsprint, of X-raying Harriet, whose sadness mingled with a sense of humiliation.

She had thought she knew Dumbledore quite well, but ever since reading this obituary she had been forced to recognize that she had barely known him at all. Never once had she imagined Dumbledore's childhood or youth; it was as though he had sprung into being as Harriet had known him, venerable and silver-haired and old. The idea of a teenage Dumbledore was simply odd, like trying to imagine a stupid Hermione or a friendly Blast-Ended Skrewt.

She had never thought to ask Dumbledore about his past. No doubt it would have felt strange, impertinent even, but after all, it had been common knowledge that Dumbledore had taken part in that legendary duel with Grindelwald, and Harriet had not thought to ask Dumbledore what that had been like, nor about any of his other famous achievements. No, they had always discussed Harriet, Harriet's past, Harriet's future, Harriet's plans . . . and it seemed to Harriet now, despite the fact that her future was so dangerous and so uncertain, that she had missed irreplaceable opportunities when she had failed to ask Dumbledore more about himself, even though the only personal question she had ever asked her headmaster was also the only one she suspected that Dumbledore had not answered honestly:

"What do you see when you look in the mirror?"

"I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks."

After several minutes' thought, Harriet tore the obituary out of the Prophet, folded it carefully, and tucked it inside the first volume of Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts. Then she threw the rest of the newspaper onto the rubbish pile and turned to face the room. It was much tidier. The only things left out of place were today's Daily Prophet, still lying on the bed, and on top of it, the piece of broken mirror.

Harriet moved across the room, slid the mirror fragment off today's Prophet, and unfolded the newspaper. She had merely glanced at the headline when she had taken the rolled-up paper from the delivery owl early that morning and thrown it aside, after noting that it said nothing about Voldemort. Harriet was sure that the Ministry was leaning on the Prophet to suppress news about Voldemort. It was only now, therefore, that she saw what she had missed.

Across the bottom half of the front page a smaller headline was set over a picture of Dumbledore striding along looking harried:

_DUMBLEDORE — THE TRUTH AT LAST?_

_Coming next week, the shocking story of the flawed genius considered by many to be the greatest wizard of his generation. Stripping away the popular image of serene, silver-bearded wisdom, Rita Skeeter reveals the disturbed childhood, the lawless youth, the lifelong feuds, and the guilty secrets that Dumbledore carried to his grave. WHY was the man tipped to be Minister of Magic content to remain a mere headmaster? WHAT was the real purpose of the secret organization known as the Order of the Phoenix? HOW did Dumbledore really meet his end?_

_The answers to these and many more questions are explored in the explosive new biography, The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore, by Rita Skeeter, exclusively interviewed by Betty Braithwaite, page 13, inside._

_Harriet ripped open the paper and found page thirteen. The article was topped with a picture showing another familiar face: a woman wearing jeweled glasses with elaborately curled blonde hair, her teeth bared in what was clearly supposed to be a winning smile, wiggling her fingers up at him. Doing her best to ignore this nauseating image, Harriet read on._

_In person, Rita Skeeter is much warmer and softer than her famously ferocious quill-portraits might suggest. Greeting me in the hallway of her cozy home, she leads me straight into the kitchen for a cup of tea, a slice of pound cake and, it goes without saying, a steaming vat of freshest gossip._

_"Well, of course, Dumbledore is a biographer's dream," says Skeeter. "Such a long, full life. I'm sure my book will be the first of very, very many."_

_Skeeter was certainly quick off the mark. Her nine-hundred-page book was completed a mere four weeks after Dumbledore's mysterious death in June. I ask her how she managed this superfast feat._

_"Oh, when you've been a journalist as long as I have, working to a deadline is second nature. I knew that the Wizarding world was clamoring for the full story and I wanted to be the first to meet that need."_

_I mention the recent, widely publicized remarks of Elphias Doge, Special Advisor to the Wizengamot and longstanding friend of Albus Dumbledore's, that "Skeeter's book contains less fact than a Chocolate Frog card."_

_Skeeter throws back her head and laughs._

_"Darling Dodgy! I remember interviewing him a few years back about merpeople rights, bless him. Completely gaga, seemed to think we were sitting at the bottom of Lake Windermere, kept telling me to watch out for trout."_

_And yet Elphias Doge's accusations of inaccuracy have been echoed in many places. Does Skeeter really feel that four short weeks have been enough to gain a full picture of Dumbledore's long and extraordinary life?_

_"Oh, my dear," beams Skeeter, rapping me affectionately across the knuckles, "you know as well as I do how much information can be generated by a fat bag of Galleons, a refusal to hear the word 'no,' and a nice sharp Quick-Quotes Quill! People were queuing to dish the dirt on Dumbledore anyway. Not everyone thought he was so wonderful, you know — he trod on an awful lot of important toes. But old Dodgy Doge can get off his high hippogriff, because I've had access to a source most journalists would swap their wands for, one who has never spoken in public before and who was close to Dumbledore during the most turbulent and disturbing phase of his youth."_

_The advance publicity for Skeeter's biography has certainly suggested that there will be shocks in store for those who believe Dumbledore to have led a blameless life. What were the biggest surprises she uncovered, I ask?_

_"Now, come off it, Betty, I'm not giving away all the highlights before anybody's bought the book!" laughs Skeeter. "But I can promise that anybody who still thinks Dumbledore was white as his beard is in for a rude awakening! Let's just say that nobody hearing him rage against You-Know-Who would have dreamed that he dabbled in the Dark Arts himself in his youth! And for a wizard who spent his later years pleading for tolerance, he wasn't exactly broad-minded when he was younger! Yes, Albus Dumbledore had an extremely murky past, not to mention that very fishy family, which he worked so hard to keep hushed up."_

_I ask whether Skeeter is referring to Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth, whose conviction by the Wizengamot for misuse of magic caused a minor scandal fifteen years ago._

_"Oh, Aberforth is just the tip of the dung heap," laughs Skeeter. "No, no, I'm talking about much worse than a brother with a fondness for fiddling about with goats, worse even than the Muggle-maiming father — Dumbledore couldn't keep either of them quiet anyway, they were both charged by the Wizengamot. No, it's the mother and the sister that intrigued me, and a little digging uncovered a positive nest of nastiness — but, as I say, you'll have to wait for chapters nine to twelve for full details. All I can say now is, it's no wonder Dumbledore never talked about how his nose got broken."_

_Family skeletons not with standing, does Skeeter deny the brilliance that led to Dumbledore's many magical discoveries?_

_"He had brains," she concedes, "although many now question whether he could really take full credit for all of his supposed achievements. As I reveal in chapter sixteen, Ivor Dillonsby claims he had already discovered eight uses of dragon's blood when Dumbledore 'borrowed' his papers."_

_But the importance of some of Dumbledore's achievements cannot, I venture, be denied. What of his famous defeat of Grindelwald?_

_"Oh, now, I'm glad you mentioned Grindelwald," says Skeeter with a tantalizing smile. "I'm afraid those who go dewy-eyed over Dumbledore's spectacular victory must brace themselves for a bombshell — or perhaps a Dungbomb. Very dirty business indeed. All I'll say is, don't be so sure that there really was the spectacular duel of legend. After they've read my book, people may be forced to conclude that Grindelwald simply conjured a white handkerchief from the end of his wand and came quietly!"_

_Skeeter refuses to give any more away on this intriguing subject, so we turn instead to the relationship that will undoubtedly fascinate her readers more than any other._

_"Oh yes," says Skeeter, nodding briskly, "I devote an entire chapter to the whole Potter–Dumbledore relationship. It's been called unhealthy, even sinister. Again, your readers will have to buy my book for the whole story, but there is no question that Dumbledore took an unnatural interest in Potter from the word go. Whether that was really in the boy's best interests — well, we'll see. It's certainly an open secret that Potter has had a most troubled adolescence."_

_I ask whether Skeeter is still in touch with Harriet Potter, whom she so famously interviewed last year: a breakthrough piece in which Potter spoke exclusively of his conviction that You-Know-Who had returned._

_"Oh, yes, we've developed a close bond," says Skeeter. "Poor Potter has few real friends, and we met at one of the most testing moments of his life — the Triwizard Tournament. I am probably one of the only people alive who can say that they know the real Harriet Potter."_

_Which leads us neatly to the many rumors still circulating about Dumbledore's final hours. Does Skeeter believe that Potter was there when Dumbledore died?_

_"Well, I don't want to say too much — it's all in the book — but eyewitnesses inside Hogwarts castle saw Potter running away from the scene moments after Dumbledore fell, jumped, or was pushed. Potter later gave evidence against Severus Snape, a man against whom he has a notorious grudge. Is everything as it seems? That is for the Wizarding community to decide — once they've read my book."_

_On that intriguing note, I take my leave. There can be no doubt that Skeeter has quilled an instant bestseller. Dumbledore's legions of admirers, meanwhile, may well be trembling at what is soon to emerge about their hero._

_Harriet reached the bottom of the article, but continued to stare blankly at the page. Revulsion and fury rose in her like vomit; she balled up the newspaper and threw it, with all her force, at the wall, where it joined the rest of the rubbish heaped around his overflowing bin._

_She began to stride blindly around the room, opening empty drawers and picking up books only to replace them on the same piles, barely conscious of what she was doing, as random phrases from Rita's article echoed in her head: An entire chapter to the whole Potter–Dumbledore relationship . . . It's been called unhealthy, even sinister. . . . He dabbled in the Dark Arts himself in his youth . . . I've had access to a source most journalists would swap their wands for . . ._

"Lies!" Harriet bellowed, and through the window she saw the next-door neighbor, who had paused to restart his lawn mower, look up nervously.

Harriet sat down hard on the bed. The broken bit of mirror danced away from her; she picked it up and turned it over in his fingers, thinking, thinking of Dumbledore and the lies with which Rita Skeeter was defaming him. . . .

A flash of brightest blue. Harriet froze, her cut finger slipping on the jagged edge of the mirror again. She had imagined it, he must have done. She glanced over her shoulder, but the wall was a sickly peach color of Aunt Petunia's choosing: There was nothing blue there for the mirror to reflect. She peered into the mirror fragment again, and saw nothing but her own bright green eye looking back at her.

She had imagined it, there was no other explanation; imagined it, because he had been thinking of his dead headmaster. If anything was certain, it was that the bright blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore would never pierce him again.


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of the front door slamming echoed up the stairs and a voice roared, "Oh! You!" Sixteen years of being addressed thus left Harriet in no doubt whom her uncle was calling; nevertheless, she did not immediately respond. She was still gazing at the mirror fragment in which, for a split second, she had thought she saw Dumbledore's eye. It was not until her uncle bellowed,

"GIRL!"

that Harriet got slowly out of bed and headed for the bedroom door, pausing to add the piece of broken mirror to the rucksack filled with things she would be taking with him.

"You took you time!" roared Vernon Dursley when Harriet appeared at the top of the stairs, "Get down here. I want a word!"

Harriet strolled downstairs, her hands deep in her pants pockets. When she searched the living room she found all three Dursleys. They were dressed for packing; Uncle Vernon in an old ripped-up jacket and Dudley, Harriet's, large, blond, muscular cousin, in his leather jacket.

"Yes?" asked Harriet.

"Sit down!" said Uncle Vernon.

Harriet raised her eyebrows.

"Please!" added Uncle Vernon, wincing slightly as though the word was sharp in his throat.

Harriet sat.

She though she knew what was coming. Her uncle began to pace up and down, Aunt Petunia and Dudley, following his movement with anxious expressions. Finally, his large purple face crumpled with concentration. Uncle Vernon stopped in front of Harriet and spoke.

"I've changed my mind," he said.

"What a surprise," said Harriet**.**

"Don't you take that tone—" began Aunt Petunia in a shrill voice, but Vernon Dursley waved her down

"It's all a lot of claptrap," said Uncle Vernon, glaring at Harriet with piggy little eyes. "I've decided I don't believe a word of it. We're staying put, we're not going anywhere."

Harriet looked up at her uncle and felt a mixture of exasperation and amusement. Vernon Dursley had been changing his mind every twenty four hours for the past four weeks, packing and unpacking and repacking the car with every change of heart.

Harriet's favorite moment had been the one when Uncle Vernon, unaware the Dudley had added his dumbbells to his case since the last time it been repacked, had attempted to hoist it back into the boot and collapsed with a yelp of pain and much swearing.

"According to you," Vernon Dursley said, now resuming his pacing up and down the living room, "we – Petunia, Dudley, and I – are in danger. From – from –"

"Some of 'my lot' right?" said Harriet.

"Well I don't believe it," repeated Uncle Vernon, coming to a halt in front of Harriet again. "I was awake half the night thinking it all over, and I believe it's a plot to get the house."

"The house?" repeated Harriet. "What house?"

"This house!" shrieked Uncle Vernon, the vein his forehead starting to pulse. "Our house! House prices are skyrocketing around here! You want us out of the way and then you're going to do a bit of hocus pocus and before we know it the deeds will be in your name and –"

"Are you out of your mind?" demanded Harriet. "A plot to get this house? Are you actually as stupid as you look?"

"Don't you dare -!" squealed Aunt Petunia, but again Vernon waved her down.

Slights on his personal appearance were it seemed as nothing to the danger he had spotted.

"Just in case you've forgotten," said Harriet, "I've already got a house my godfather left me one. So why would I want this one? All the happy memories?"

There was silence. Harriet thought she had rather impressed her uncle with this argument.

"You claim," said Uncle Vernon, starting to pace yet again, "that this Lord Thing –"

"—Voldemort," said Harriet impatiently, "and we've been through this about a hundred times already. This isn't a claim, it's fact. Dumbledore told you last year, and Kingsley and Mr. Weasley –"

Vernon Dursley hunched his shoulders angrily, and Harriet guessed that her uncle was attempting to ward off recollections of the unannounced visit, a few days into Harriet's summer holidays, of two fully grown wizards. The arrival on the doorstep of Kingsley Shacklebolt and Arthur Weasley had come as a most unpleasant shock to the Dursleys. Harriet had to admit, however that as Mr. Weasley had once demolished half of the living room, his reappearance could not have been expected to delight Uncle Vernon.

"—Kingsley and Mr. Weasley explained it all as well," Harriet pressed on remorselessly, "Once I'm seventeen, the protective charm that keeps me safe will break, and that exposes you as well as me. The Order is sure Voldemort will target you, whether to torture you to try and find out where I am, or because he thinks by holding you hostage I'd come and try to rescue you."

Uncle Vernon's and Harriet's eyes met. Then Uncle Vernon walked on and Harriet resumed,

"You've got to go into hiding and the Order wants to help. You're being offered serious protection, the best there is."

Uncle Vernon said nothing but continued to pace up and down. Outside the sun hung low over the privet hedges. The next door neighbor's lawn mower stalled again.

"I thought there was a Ministry of Magic?" asked Vernon Dursley abruptly.

"There is," said Harriet, surprised.

"Well, then, why can't they protect us? It seems to me that, as innocent victims, guilty of nothing more than harboring a marked man, we ought to qualify for.

Harriet laughed; she could not help herself. It was so very typical of her uncle to put his hopes in the establishment, even within this world that he despised and mistrusted.

"You heard what Mr. Weasley and Kingsley said," Harriet replied. "We think the Ministry has been infiltrated."

Uncle Vernon strode back to the fireplace and back breathing so strongly that his great black mustache rippled his face still purple with concentration.

"All right," he said. Stopping in front of Harriet get again. "All right, let's say for the sake of argument we accept this protection. I still don't see why we can't have that Kingsley bloke."

"As I've told you," he said through gritted teeth, "Kingsley is protecting the Mug – I mean, your Prime Minister."

"Exactly – he's the best!" said Uncle Vernon, pointing at the blank television screen.

"Well, he's taken," said Harriet. "But Hestia Jones and Dedalus Diggle are more than up to the job –"

"If we'd even seen CVs…" began Uncle Vernon, but Harriet lost patience.

Getting to her feet, she advanced on her uncle, now pointing at the TV set herself.

"These accidents aren't accidents – the crashed and explosions and derailments and whatever else has happened since we last watched the news. People are disappearing and dying and he's behind it – Voldemort. I've told you this over and over again, he kills Muggles for fun. Even the fogs – they're caused by dementors, and if you can't remember what they are, ask your son!"

Dudley's hands jerked upward to tower his mouth. With his parents' and Harriet's eyes upon him, he slowly lowered them again and asked, "There are… more of them?"

"More?" laughed Harriet. "More than the two that attacked us, you mean? Of course there are hundreds, maybe thousands by this time, seeing as they feed off fear and despair—"

"All right, all right," blustered Vernon Dursley. "You've made your point –"

"I hope so," said Harriet, "because once I'm seventeen, all of them – Death Eaters, Dementors, maybe even Inferi – which means dead bodies enchanted by a Dark wizard –"

The Muggles looked sick.

"He will be able to find you and will certainly attack you. And if you remember the last time you tried to outrun wizards, I think you'll agree you need help."

Aunt Petunia was looking at Uncle Vernon; Dudley was staring at Harriet.

Finally Uncle Vernon blurted out, "But what about my work? What about Dudley's school? I don't suppose those things matter to a bunch of lay about wizards –"

"Don't you understand?" shouted Harriet. "They will torture and kill you like they did my parents! And Neville's parents are crazy from being tortured for so long!"

"Dad," said Dudley in a loud voice, "Dad – I'm going with these Order people."

"Dudley," said Harriet, "for the first time in your life, you're talking sense."

"They'll be here in about five minutes," she said, and when none of the Dursleys replied, she left the room.

The prospect of parting—probably forever – from her aunt, uncle, and cousin was one that she was able to contemplate quite cheerfully but there was nevertheless a certain awkwardness in the air. What did you say to one another at the end of sixteen years' solid dislike?

Back in her bedroom, Harriet fiddled aimlessly with her rucksack then poked a couple of owl nuts through the bats of Hedwig's cage. They fell with dull thuds to the bottom where she ignored them.

"We're leaving soon, really soon," Harriet told her. "And then you'll be able to fly again."

The doorbell rang. Harriet hesitated, then headed back out of her room and downstairs.

"Harriet Potter!" squeaked an excited voice, the moment Harriet had opened the door; a small man in a mauve top hat that was sweeping him a deep bow. "An honor as ever!"

"Thanks, Dedalus," said Harriet, bestowing a small and embarrassed smile upon the dark haired Hestia. "It's really good of you to do this… They're through here, my aunt and uncle and cousin…"

"Good day to you, Harriet Potter's relatives!" said Dedalus happily striding into the living room.

The Dursleys did not look at all happy to be addressed thus. Dudley shrank neared to his mother at the sight of the witch and wizard.

"I see you are packed and ready. Excellent! The plan, as Harriet has told you, is a simple one," said Dedalus, pulling an immense pocket watch out of his waistcoat and examining it. "We shall be leaving before Harriet does. Due to the danger of using magic in your house –Harriet being still underage it could provide the Ministry with an excuse to arrest her–we shall be driving, say, ten miles or so before Disapparating to the safe location we have picked out for you. You know how to drive, I take it?" He asked Uncle Vernon politely.

"Know how to –? Of course I ruddy well know how to drive!" spluttered Uncle Vernon.

"Very clever of you, sir, very clever. I personally would be utterly bamboozled by all those buttons and knobs," said Dedalus.

He was clearly under the impression that he was flattering Vernon Dursley, who was visibly losing confidence in the plan with every word Dedalus spoke.

"Can't even drive," he muttered under his breath, his mustache rippling indignantly, but fortunately neither Dedalus nor Hestia seemed to hear him.

"You, Harriet," Dedalus continued, "will wait here for your guard. There has been a little change in the arrangements –"

"What d'you mean?" said Harriet at once. "I thought Mad-Eye was going to come and take me by Side Along-Apparition?"

"Can't do it," said Hestia tersely, "Mad-Eye will explain."

The Dursleys, who had listened to all of this with looks of utter incomprehension on their faces, jumped as a loud voice screeched, "Hurry up!"

Harriet looked all around the room before realizing the voice had issued from Dedalus's pocket watch.

"Quite right, were operating to a very tight schedule," said Dedalus nodding at his watch and tucking it back into his waist coat. "We are attempting to time your departure from the house with your family's Disapparition, Harriet thus the charm breaks the moment you all head for safety."

He turned to the Dursleys, "Well, are we all packed and ready to go?"

None of them answered him. Uncle Vernon was still staring appalled at the bulge in Dedalus's waistcoat pocket.

"Perhaps we should wait outside in the hall, Dedalus," murmured Hestia. She clearly felt that it would be tactless for them to remain the room while Harriet and the Dursleys exchanged loving, possibly tearful farewells.

"There's no need," Harriet muttered, but Uncle Vernon made any further explanation unnecessary by saying loudly,

"Well, this is good-bye then girl."

She twitched a little after saying girl.

He swung his right arm upward to shake Harriet's hand, but at the last moment seemed unable to face it, and merely closed his fist and began swinging it backward and forward like a metronome.

"Ready, Duddy?" asked Petunia, fussily checking the clasp of her handbag so as to avoid looking at Harriet altogether.

Dudley did not answer but stood there with his mouth slightly ajar.

"Come along, then," said Uncle Vernon.

He had already reached the living room door when Dudley mumbled, "I don't understand."

"What don't you understand, popkin?" asked Petunia looking up at her son.

Dudley raised a large, hamlike hand to point at Harriet.

"Why isn't she coming with us?

Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia froze when they stood staring at Dudley as though he had just expressed a desire to become a ballerina.

"What?" said Uncle Vernon loudly.

"Why isn't she coming too?" asked Dudley.

"Well, she—doesn't want to," said Uncle Vernon, turning to glare at Harriet and adding, "You don't want to, do you?"

"Not in the slightest," said Harriet.

"There you are," Uncle Vernon told Dudley. "Now come on we're off."

He marched out of the room. They heard the front door open, but Dudley did not move and after a few faltering steps Aunt Petunia stopped too.

"What now?" barked Uncle Vernon, reappearing in the doorway.

It seemed that Dudley was struggling with concepts too difficult to put into words. After several moments of apparently painful internal struggle he said,

"But where's she going to go?"

Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon looked at each other. It was clear that Dudley was frightening them. Hestia Jones broke the silence.

"But… surely you know where your nephew is going?" she asked looking bewildered.

"Certainly we know," said Vernon Dursley. "She's off with some of your lot, isn't she? Right, Dudley, let's get in the car, you heard the man, we're in a hurry."

Again, Vernon Dursley marched as far as the front door, but Dudley did not follow.

"Off with some of our lot?"

Hestia looked outraged.

"It's fine," Harriet assured her. "It doesn't matter, honestly."

"Doesn't matter?" repeated Hestia, her voice rising considerably. "Don't these people realize what you've been through? What danger you are in? The unique position you hold in the hearts of the anti Voldemort movement?"

"Er –no, they don't," said Harriet. "They think I'm a waste of space, actually but I'm used to –"

"I don't think you're a waste of space."

As it was, she stared at Dudley for several seconds before accepting that it must have been her cousin who had spoken; for one thing, Dudley had turned red.

"Well... er… thanks, Dudley."

Again, Dudley appeared to grapple with thoughts too unwieldy for expression before mumbling, "You saved my life."

"Not really," said Harriet. "It was your soul the Dementor would have taken…"

She looked curiously at her cousin. After opening her mouth once or twice more, Dudley subsided into scarlet-faced silence.

Aunt Petunia burst into tears. Hestia Jones gave her an approving look that changed to outrage as Aunt Petunia ran forward and embraced Dudley rather than Harriet.

"S-so sweet, Dudders…" she sobbed into his massive chest. "S-such a lovely b-boy… s-saying thank you…".

"But he hasn't said thank you at all!" said Hestia indignantly.

"He only said he didn't think Harriet was a waste of space!"

"Yea but coming from Dudley that's like 'I love you,'" said Harriet, torn between annoyance and a desire to laugh as Aunt Petunia continued to clutch at Dudley as if he had just saved Harriet from a burning building.

"Are we going or not?" roared Uncle Vernon, reappearing yet again at the living room door.

"I thought we were on a tight schedule!"

"Yes –yes, we are," said Dedalus Diggle, who had been watching these exchanged with an air of bemusement and now seemed to pull himself together. "We really must be off. Harriet –"

He tripped forward and wrung Harriet's hand with both of his own.

"—good luck. I hope we meet again. The hopes of the Wizarding world rest upon your shoulders."

"Oh," said Harriet, "right. Thanks."

"Farwell, Harriet," said Hestia also clasping his hand. "Our thoughts go with you."

"I hope everything's okay," said Harriet with a glance toward Aunt Petunia and Dudley.

"Oh I'm sure we shall end up the best of chums," said Diggle slightly, waving his hat as he left the room.

Hestia followed him.

Dudley gently released himself from his mother's clutches and walked toward Harriet. Then Dudley held out his large, pink hand.

"Blimey, Dudley," said Harriet over Aunt Petunia's renewed sobs, "did the dementors blow a different personality into you?"

"Dunno," muttered Dudley, "See you, Harriet."

"Yea …" said Harriet, raking Dudley's hand and shaking it.

"Maybe. Take care, Big D."

Dudley nearly smiled. They lumbered from the room. Harriet heard his heavy footfalls on the graveled drive, and then a car door slammed.

Aunt Petunia whose face had been buried in her handkerchief looked around at the sound. She did not seem to have expected to find herself alone with Harriet.

Hastily stowing her wet handkerchief into her pocket, she said, "Well – good-bye" and marched towards the door without looking at her.

"Good-bye." said Harriet.

She stopped and looked back. For a moment Harriet had the strangest feeling that she wanted to say something to her; She gave her an odd, tremulous look and seemed to teeter on the edge of speech, but then, with a little tilt of her head, she hustled out of the room after her husband and so


	3. Chapter 3

Harriet ran back upstairs to her bedroom, arriving at the window just in time to see the Dursleys' car swinging out of the drive and off up the road. Dedalus's top hat was visible between Aunt Petunia and Dudley in the backseat. The car turned right at the end of Privet Drive, its windows burned scarlet for a moment in the now setting sun, and then it was gone.

Harriet picked up Hedwig's cage, her Firebolt, and her rucksack, gave her unnaturally tidy bedroom one last sweeping look, and then made her ungainly way back downstairs to the hall, where she deposited cage, broomstick, and bag near the foot of the stairs. The light was fading rapidly, the hall full of shadows in the evening light.

"Don't you want to take a last look at the place?" she asked Hedwig, who was still sulking with her head under her wing.

"We'll never be here again. Don't you want to remember all the good times? I mean, look at this doormat. What memories … Dudley throw up on it after I saved him from the dementors … Turns out he was grateful after all, can you believe it? … And last summer, Dumbledore walked through that front door …"

Hedwig continued to sit with her head under her wing. Harriet turned her back on the front door.

"And under here, Hedwig" – Harriet pulled open a door under the stairs – "is where I used to sleep! Blimey, I forgot how small it was."

Pausing only to employ a few of Uncle Vernon's choicest swear words, she staggered back into the kitchen, clutching her head and staring out of the window into the back garden.

The darkness seemed to be rippling, the air itself quivering. Then, one by one, figures began to pop into sight as their Disillusionment Charms lifted.

Dominating the scene was Hagrid, wearing a helmet and goggles and sitting astride an enormous motorbike with a black sidecar attached.

All around her other people were dismounting from brooms and, in two cases, skeletal, black winged horses.

Wrenching open the back door, Harriet hurtled into their midst. There was a general cry of greeting as Hermione flung her arms around her,

Ron clapped her on the back, and Hagrid said, "All righ', Harriet? Ready fer the off?"

"Definitely," said Harriet, beaming around at them all.

"But I wasn't expecting this many of you!"

"Change of plan," growled Mad-Eye, who was holding two enormous bulging sacks, and whose magical eye was spinning from darkening sky to house to garden with dizzying rapidity. "Let's get undercover before we talk you through it."

Harriet led them all back into the kitchen where, laughing and chattering, they settled on chairs, sat themselves upon Aunt Petunia's gleaming work surfaces, or leaned up against her spotless appliances;

Ron, long and lanky; Hermione, her bushy hair tied back in a long plait; Fred and George, grinning identically; Bill, badly scarred and long-haired; Mr. Weasley, kind-faced, balding, his spectacles a little awry; Mad-Eye, battle-worn, one-legged, his bright blue magical eye whizzing in its socket; Tonks, whose short hair was her favorite shade of bright pink; Lupin, grayer, more lined; Fleur, slender and beautiful, with her long silvery blonde hair; Kingsley, bald and broad-shouldered; Hagrid, with his wild hair and beard, standing hunchbacked to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling; and Mundungus Fletcher, small, dirty, and hangdog, with his droopy beady hound's eyes and matted hair.

She looked around for Neville but he wasn't there. Her friends had told her he was going to be there. Then she saw Kingsley.

"Kingsley, I thought you were looking after the Muggle Prime Minister?" she called across the room.

"He can get along without me for one night," said Kingsley, "You're more important."

"Harriet, guess what?" said Tonks from her perch on top of the washing machine, and she wiggled her left hand at her; a ring glistened there.

"You got married?" Harriet yelped, looking from her to Lupin.

"I'm sorry you couldn't be there, Harriet, it was very quiet."

"That's brilliant, congrat –"

"All right, all right, we'll have time for a cozy catch-up later," roared Moody over the hubbub, and silence fell in the kitchen.

Moody dropped his sacks at his feet and turned to Harriet. "As Dedalus probably told you, we had to abandon Plan A. Pius Thicknesse has gone over, which gives us a big problem. He's made it an imprisonable offense to connect this house to the Floo Network, place a Portkey here, or Apparate in or out. All done in the name of your protection, to prevent You-Know-Who getting in at you. Absolutely pointless, seeing as your mother's charm does that already. What he's really done is to stop you getting out of here safely."

"Second problem: You're underage, which means you've still got the Trace on you."

"I don't –"

"The Trace, the Trace!" said Mad-Eye impatiently. "The charm that detects magical activity around under-seventeens, the way the Ministry finds out about underage magic! If you, or anyone around you, casts a spell to get you out of here, Thicknesse is going to know about it, and so will the Death Eaters."

"We can't wait for the Trace to break, because the moment you turn seventeen you'll lose all the protection your mother gave you. In short, Pius Thicknesse thinks he's got you cornered good and proper."

"So what are we going to do?"

"We're going to use the only means of transport left to us, the only ones the Trace can't detect, because we don't need to cast spells to use them: brooms, thestrals, and Hagrid's motorbike."

"Now, your mother's charm will only break under two conditions: when you come of age, or" – Moody gestured around the pristine kitchen – "you no longer call this place home. You and your aunt and uncle are going your separate ways tonight, in the full understanding that you're never going to live together again, correct?"

Harriet nodded.

"So this time, when you leave, there'll be no going back, and the charm will break the moment you get outside its range. We're choosing to break it early, because the alternative is waiting for You-Know-Who to come and seize you the moment you turn seventeen.

"The one thing we've got on our side is that You-Know-Who doesn't know we're moving you tonight. We've leaked a fake trail to the Ministry: They think you're not leaving until the thirtieth. However, this is You-Know-Who we're dealing with, so we can't rely on him getting the date wrong; he's bound to have a couple of Death Eaters patrolling the skies in this general area, just in case. So, we've given a dozen different houses every protection we can throw at them. They all look like they could be the place we're going to hide you, they've all got some connection with the Order: my house, Kingsley's place, Molly's Auntie Muriel's – you get the idea."

"Yeah," said Harriet,

"You'll be going to Tonks's parents. Once you're within the boundaries of the protective enchantments we've put on their house you'll be able to use a Portkey to the Burrow. Any questions?"

"Er – yes," said Harriet. "Maybe they won't know which of the twelve secure houses I'm heading for at first, but won't it be sort of obvious once" – he performed a quick headcount – "fourteen of us fly off toward Tonks's parents?"

"Ah," said Moody, "I forgot to mention the key point. Fourteen of us won't be flying to Tonks's parents. There will be seven Harriet Potters moving through the skies tonight, each of them with a companion, each pair heading for a different safe house."

From inside his cloak Moody now withdrew a flask of what looked like mud. There was no need for him to say another word; Harriet understood the rest of the plan immediately.

"No!" she said loudly, her voice ringing through the kitchen. "No way!"

"I told them you'd take it like this," said Hermione with a hint of complacency.

"If you think I'm going to let six people risk their lives - !"

"—because it's the first time for all of us," said Ron.

"This is different, pretending to be me –"

"Well, none of us really fancy it, Harriet," said Fred earnestly.

"Imagine if something went wrong and we were stuck as specky, scrawny gits forever."

Harriet did not smile.

"You can't do it if I don't cooperate; you need me to give you some hair."

"Well, that's the plan scuppered," said George.

"Obviously there's no chance at all of us getting a bit of your hair unless you cooperate."

"Yeah, thirteen of us against one bloke who's not allowed to use magic; we've got no chance," said Fred.

"Funny," said Harriet, "really amusing."

"If it has to come to force, then it will," growled Moody, his magical eye now quivering a little in its socket as he glared at Harriet. "Everyone here's overage, Potter, and they're all prepared to take the risk. Aside from Longbottom, his birthday is the day before yours. That's why he's with Molly."

"Aww, Mad-eye you ruined the surprise and a little bit of an early birthday present we had for her!" Ron said.

Mundungus shrugged and grimaced; the magical eye swerved sideways to glance at him out of the side of Moody's head.

"Let's have no more arguments. Time's wearing on. I want a few of your hairs, girl, now."

She twitched after that for a second as usual and then came back.

"But this is mad, there's no need –"

"No need!" snarled Moody. "With You-Know-Who out there and half the Ministry on his side? Potter, if we're lucky he'll have swallowed the fake bait and he'll be planning to ambush you on the thirtieth, but he'd be mad not to have a Death Eater or two keeping an eye out, it's what I'd do.

"They might not be able to get at you or this house while your mother's charm holds, but it's about to break and they know the rough position of the place. Our only chance is to use decoys. Even You-Know-Who can't split himself into seven."

Harriet caught Hermione's eye and looked away at once.

"So, Potter – some of your hair, if you please."

Harriet glanced at Ron, who grimaced at him in a just-do-it sort of way.

"Now!" barked Moody.

With all of their eyes upon her, Harriet reached up to the top of her head, grabbed a hank of hair, and pulled.

"Good," said Moody, limping forward as he pulled the stopper out of the flask of potion. "Straight in here, if you please."

Harriet dropped the hair into the mudlike liquid. The moment it made contact with its surface, the potion began to froth and smoke, then, all at once, it turned a clear, bright gold.

"Ooh, you look much tastier than Crabbe and Goyle, Harriet," said Hermione, before catching sight of Ron's raised eyebrows, blushing slightly, and saying, "Oh, you know what I mean – Goyle's potion tasted like bogies. And besides, she's still with Neville."

"Right then, fake Potters line up over here, please," said Moody.

Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Fleur lined up in front of Aunt Petunia's gleaming sink.

"We're one short," said Lupin.

"Here," said Hagrid gruffly, and he lifted Mundungus by the scruff of the neck and dropped him down beside Fleur, who wrinkled her nose pointedly and moved along to stand between Fred and George instead.

"I'm a said, I'd sooner be a protector," said Mundungus.

"Shut it," growled Moody. "As I've already told you, you spineless worm, any Death Eaters we run into will be aiming to capture Potter, not kill him. Dumbledore always said You-Know-Who would want to finish Potter in person. It'll be the protectors who have got the most to worry about, the Death Eaters'll want to kill them."

Mundungus did not look particularly reassured, but Moody was already pulling half a dozen eggcup-sized glasses from inside his cloak, which he handed out, before pouring a little Polyjuice Potion into each one.

"Altogether, then …"

Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Fleur, and Mundungus drank.

All of them gasped and grimaced as the potion hit their throats; At once, their features began to bubble and distort like hot wax. Mundungus was going upward; Ron, Fred, and George were shrinking; their hair was darkening and getting longer, Hermione's and Fleur's appearing to go up a little bit.

Moody, quite unconcerned, was now loosening the ties of the large sacks he had brought with him. When he straightened up again, there were six Harriet Potters gasping and panting in front of her.

Fred and George turned to each other and said together,

"Wow – we're identical!"

"I dunno, though, I think I'm still better-looking," said Fred, examining his reflection in the kettle.

"Bah," said Fleur, checking herself in the microwave door, "Bill, don't look at me – I'm 'ideous."

"Those whose clothes are a bit roomy, I've got smaller here," said Moody, indicating the first sack, "and vice versa. Don't forget the glasses, there's six pairs in the side pocket. And when you're dressed, there's luggage in the other sack."

He watched as her six doppelgängers rummaged in the sacks, pulling out sets of clothes, putting on glasses, stuffing their own things away.

"I knew Ginny was lying about that tattoo," said Ron, looking down at his bare chest.

"Harriet, your eyesight really is awful," said Hermione, as she put on glasses.

Once dressed, the fake Harriet's took rucksacks and owl cages, each containing a stuffed snowy owl, from the second sack.

"Good," said Moody, as at last seven dressed, bespectacled, and luggage-laden Harriets faced him. "The pairs will be as follows: Mundungus will be traveling with me, by broom –"

"Why'm I with you?" grunted the Harriet nearest the back door.

"Because you're the one that needs watching," growled Moody, and sure enough, his magical eye did not waver from Mundungus as he continued, "Arthur and Fred –"

"I'm George," said the twin at whom Moody was pointing.

"Can't you even tell us apart when we're Harriet?"

"Sorry, George –"

"I'm only yanking your wand, I'm Fred really –"

"Enough messing around!" snarled Moody.

"The other one – George or Fred or whoever you are – you're with Remus. Miss Delacour –"

"I'm taking Fleur on a thestral," said Bill. "She's not that fond of brooms."

Fleur walked over to stand beside him, giving him a soppy, slavish look that Harriet hoped with all her heart would never appear on her face again. She can only stand it with her and Neville.

"Miss Granger with Kingsley, again by thestral –"

Hermione looked reassured as she answered Kingsley's smile.

"Which leaves you and me, Ron!" said Tonks brightly, knocking over a mug tree as she waved at him.

Ron did not look quite as pleased as Hermione.

"An' you're with me, Harriet. That all righ'?" said Hagrid, looking a little anxious. "We'll be on the bike, brooms an' thestrals can't take me weight, see. Not a lot o' room on the seat with me on it, though, so you'll be in the sidecar."

"That's great," said Harriet, not altogether truthfully.

"We think the Death Eaters will expect you to be on a broom," said Moody,

"Snape's had plenty of time to tell them everything about you he's never mentioned before, so if we _do_run into any Death Eaters, we're betting they'll choose one of the Potters who looks at home on a broomstick. All right then," he went on, tying up the sack with the fake Potters' clothes in it and leading the way back to the door, "I make it three minutes until we're supposed to leave. No point locking the back door, it won't keep the Death Eaters out when they come looking. Come on…"

Harriet hurried to gather her rucksack, Firebolt, and Hedwig's cage and followed the group to the dark back garden.

On every side broomsticks were leaping into hands; Hermione had already been helped up onto a great black thestral by Kingsley, Fleur onto the other by Bill. Hagrid was standing ready beside the motorbike, goggles on.

"Is this it? Is this Sirius's bike?"

"The very same," said Hagrid, beaming down at Harriet. "An' the last time yeh was on it, Harriet, I could fit yeh in one hand!"

It placed her several feet below everybody else: Ron smirked at the sight of her sitting there like a child in a bumper car. Then shivered when she glared at him.

After that Harriet stuffed her rucksack and broomstick down by her feet and rammed Hedwig's cage between her knees. She was extremely uncomfortable.

"Arthur's done a bit o' tinkerin'," said Hagrid,

He settled himself astride the motorcycle, which creaked slightly and sank inches into the ground.

"It's got a few tricks up its sleeves now. Tha' one was my idea."

He pointed a thick finger at a purple button near the speedometer.

"Please be careful, Hagrid." said Mr. Weasley, who was standing beside them, holding his broomstick. "I'm still not sure that was advisable and it's certainly only to be used in emergencies."

"All right, then." said Moody. "Everyone ready, please. I want us all to leave at exactly the same time or the whole point of the diversion's lost."

Everybody motioned their heads.

"Hold tight now, Ron," said Tonks, and Harriet saw Ron throw a forcing, guilty look at Lupin before placing his hands on each side of her waist.

Hagrid kicked the motorbike into life: It roared like a dragon, and the sidecar began to vibrate.

Harriet looked behind her one last time. She may not have had much of a life and considered Hogwarts her home but she'll miss it at the same time. She sighed and shut her eyes tightly fighting a few tears but felt some coming out. Then she whipped her eyes to dry and hide her tears. She had trouble with it and still felt some tears coming.

Then she turned around and looked in front of herself again. She gave in on her tears and decided to let them out.

Ron and Hermione noticed it and felt a little sorry for her. They knew she didn't like it there but understood how she felt.

"Good luck, everyone," shouted Moody. "See you all in about an hour at the Burrow. On the count of three. One … two .. THREE."

There was a great roar from the motorbike, and Harriet felt the sidecar give a nasty lurch. She was rising through the air fast, her eyes watering more slightly, hair whipped back off her face. Around her brooms were soaring upward too; the long black tail of a thestral flicked past.

And then, out of nowhere, out of nothing, they were surrounded.

At least thirty hooded figures, suspended in midair, formed a vast circle in the middle of which the Order members had risen, oblivious – Screams, a blaze of green light on every side: Hagrid gave a yell and the motorbike rolled over.

Harriet lost any sense of where they were. Streetlights above her, yells around her, she was clinging to the sidecar for dear life. Hedwig's cage, the Firebolt, and her rucksack slipped from beneath her knees –

"No – HELP!"

The broomstick spun too, but she just managed to seize the strap of her rucksack and the top of the cage as the motorbike swung the right way up again. A second's relief, and then another burst of green light. The owl screeched and fell to the floor of the cage.

"No – NO!"

The motorbike zoomed forward; Harriet glimpsed hooded Death Eaters scattering as Hagrid blasted through their circle.

"Hedwig – Hedwig –"

But the owl lay motionless and pathetic as a toy on the floor of her cage. She couldn't take it in, and her terror for the others was paramount. She glanced over her shoulder and saw a mass of people moving, flares of green light, two pairs of people on brooms soaring off into the distance, but she could not tell who they were –

"Hagrid, we've got to go back, we've got to go back!" she yelled over the thunderous roar of the engine, pulling out her wand, ramming Hedwig's cage into the floor, refusing to believe that she was dead.

"Hagrid, TURN AROUND!"

"My job's ter get you there safe, Harriet!" bellow Hagrid, and he opened the throttle.

"Stop – STOP!" Harriet shouted, but as she looked back again two jets of green light flew past her left ear:

Four Death Eaters had broken away from the circle and were pursuing them, aiming for Hagrid's broad back. Hagrid swerved, but the Death Eaters were keeping up with the bike; more curses shot after them, and Harriet had to sink low into the sidecar to avoid them. Wriggling around she cried,

_"Stupefy!"_ and a red bolt of light shot from her own wand, cleaving a gap between the four pursuing Death Eaters as they scattered to avoid it.

"Hold on, Harriet, this'll do for 'em!" roared Hagrid, and Harriet looked up just in time to see Hagrid slamming a thick finger into a green button near the fuel gauge.

A wall, a solid black wall, erupted out of the exhaust pipe. Craning her neck, Harriet saw it expand into being in midair.

Three of the Death Eaters swerved and avoided it, but the fourth was not so lucky; He vanished from view and then dropped like a boulder from behind it, his broomstick broken into pieces. One of his fellows slowed up to save him, but they and the airborne wall were swallowed by darkness as Hagrid leaned low over the handlebars and sped up.

More Killing Curses flew past Harriet's head from the two remaining Death Eaters' wands; they were aiming for Hagrid. Harriet responded with further Stunning Spells: Red and green collided in midair in a shower of multicolored sparks,

"Here we go again, Harriet, hold on!" yelled Hagrid, and he jabbed at a second button.

This time a great net burst from the bike's exhaust, but the Death Eaters were ready for it. Not only did they swerve to avoid it, but the companion who had slowed to save their unconscious friend had caught up. He bloomed suddenly out of the darkness and now three of them were pursuing the motorbike, all shooting curses after it.

"This'll do it, Harriet, hold on tight!" yelled Hagrid, and Harriet saw him slam his whole hand onto the purple button beside the speedometer.

With an unmistakable bellowing roar, dragon fire burst from the exhaust, white-hot and blue, and the motorbike shot forward like a bullet with a sound of wrenching metal. Harriet saw the Death Eaters swerve out of sight to avoid the deadly trail of flame, and at the same time felt the sidecar sway ominously: Its metal connections to the bike had splintered with the force of acceleration.

"It's all righ', Harriet!" bellowed Hagrid, now thrown flat onto the back by the surge of speed; nobody was steering now, and the sidecar was starting to twist violently in the bike's slipstream.

"I'm on it, Harriet, don' worry!" Hagrid yelled, and from inside his jacket pocket he pulled his flowery pink umbrella.

"Hagrid! No! Let me!"

_"REPARO!"_

There was a deafening bang and the sidecar broke away from the bike completely.

Harriet sped forward, propelled by the impetus of the bike's flight, then the sidecar began to lose height –

In desperation Harriet pointed her wand at the sidecar and shouted,_ "Wingardium Leviosa!"_

The sidecar rose like a cork, unsteerable but at least still airborne. She had but a split second's relief, however, as more curses streaked past her: The three Death Eaters were closing in.

"I'm comin', Harriet!" Hagrid yelled from out of the darkness, but Harriet could feel the sidecar beginning to sink again: Crouching as low as she could, she pointed at the middle of the oncoming figures and yelled,

_"Impedimenta!"_

The jinx hit the middle Death Eater in the chest; For a moment the man was absurdly spread-eagled in midair as though he had hit an invisible barrier: One of his fellows almost collided with him –

Then the sidecar began to fall in earnest, and the remaining Death Eater shot a curse so close to Harriet that he had to duck below the rim of the car, knocking out a tooth on the edge of his seat –

"I'm comin', Harriet, I'm comin'!"

A huge hand seized the back of Harriet's robes and hoisted her out of the plummeting sidecar; Harriet pulled her rucksack with her as she dragged herself onto the motorbike's seat and found herself back-to-back with Hagrid.

As they soared upward, away from the two remaining Death Eaters, Harriet spat blood out of his mouth, pointed his wand at the falling sidecar, and yelled,

_"Confringo!"_

She felt a dreadful, gut-wrenching pang for Hedwig as it exploded; the Death Eater nearest it was blasted off his broom and fell from sight; his companion fell back and vanished.

"Harriet, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," moaned Hagrid, "I shouldn'ta tried ter repair it meself – yeh've got no room –"

"It's not a problem, just keep flying!" Harriet shouted back, as two more Death Eaters emerged out of the darkness, drawing closer.

As the curses came shooting across the intervening space again, Hagrid swerved and zigzagged: Harriet knew that Hagrid did not dare use the dragon-fire button again, with Harriet seated so insecurely.

Harriet sent Stunning Spell after Stunning Spell back at their pursuers, barely holding them off. She shot another blocking jinx at them: The closest Death Eater swerved to avoid it and his hood slipped, and by the red light of her next Stunning Spell, Harriet saw the strangely blank face of Stanley Shunpike – Stan –

_"Expelliarmus!"_ Harriet yelled.

"That's her, it's her, it's the real one!"

_Shit! I shouldn't have done that. They all know I used it when he came back!' _she thought.

The hooded Death Eater's shout reached Harriet even above the thunder of the motorbike's engine: Next moment, both pursuers had fallen back and disappeared from view.

"Harriet, what's happened?" bellowed Hagrid. "Where've they gone?"

"I don't know!"

She gazed around at the apparently empty darkness. She clambered around on the seat to face forward and seized hold of the back of Hagrid's jacket.

"Hagrid, do the dragon-fire thing again, let's get out of here!"

"Hold on tight, then, Harriet!"

There was a deafening, screeching roar again and the white-blue fire shot from the exhaust: Harriet felt herself slipping backwards off what little of the seat she had. Hagrid flung backward upon her, barely maintaining her grip on the handlebars –

"I think we've lost 'em Harriet, I think we've done it!" yelled Hagrid.

She looked left and right for pursuers.

"We're nearly there, Harriet, we've nearly made it!" shouted Hagrid.

Harriet felt the bike drop a little, though the lights down on the ground still seemed remote as stars. Then she felt something she was familiar with, her scar.

As a Death Eater appeared on either side of the bike, two Killing Curses missed Harriet by millimeters, cast from behind –

And then Harriet saw him. Voldemort was flying like smoke on the wind, without broomstick or thestral to hold him, his snake-like face gleaming out of the blackness, his white fingers raising his wand again –

Hagrid let out a bellow of fear and steered the motorbike into a vertical dive. Clinging on for dear life, Harriet sent Stunning Spells flying at random into the whirling night. She saw a body fly past her and knew she had hit one of them, but then she heard a bang and saw sparks from the engine; the motorbike spiraled through the air, completely out of control –

Green jets of light shot past them again.

Harriet had no idea which way was up, which down: A hooded figure on a broomstick was feet from her, she saw it raise its arm –

"NO!"

With a shout of fury Hagrid launched himself off the bike at the Death Eater; to his horror, Harriet saw both Hagrid and the Death Eater, falling out of sight, their combined weight too much for the broomstick –

Barely gripping the plummeting bike with her knees, Harriet heard Voldemort scream, "Mine!"

It was over: She could not see or hear where Voldemort was; she glimpsed another Death Eater swooping out of the way and heard, _"Avada –_"

As the pain from Harriet's scar forced her eyes shut, her wand acted of its own accord.

She felt it drag her hand around like some great magnet, saw a spurt of golden fire through her half-closed eyelids, heard a crack and a scream of fury.

The remaining Death Eater yelled; Voldemort screamed,

"NO!"

Somehow, Harriet found her nose an inch from the dragon-fire button. She punched it with her wand-free hand and the bike shot more flames into the air, hurtling straight toward the ground.

"Hagrid!" Harriet called, holding on to the bike for dear life.

"Hagrid – _Accio Hagrid!_"

The motorbike sped up, sucked towards the earth. Face level with the handlebars, Harriet could see nothing but distant lights growing nearer and nearer: She was going to crash and there was nothing she could do about it.

Behind her came another scream, "Your wand, Selwyn, give me your wand!"

She felt Voldemort before she saw him. Looking sideways, she stared into the red eyes and was sure they would be the last thing she ever saw: Voldemort preparing to curse her once more –

And then Voldemort vanished.

Harriet looked down and saw Hagrid spread-eagled on the ground below her. She pulled hard at the handlebars to avoid hitting him, groped for the brake, but with an earsplitting, ground trembling crash, she smashed into a muddy pond.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hagrid?"

Harriet struggled to raise herself out of the debris of metal and leather that surrounded him; her hands sank into inches of muddy water as she tried to stand. She could not understand where Voldemort had gone and expected him to swoop out of the darkness at any moment. Something hot and wet was trickling down her chin and from her forehead. She crawled out of the pond and stumbled toward the great dark mass on the ground that was Hagrid.

"Hagrid? Hagrid, talk to me —"

But the dark mass did not stir.

"Who's there? Is it Potter? Are you Harriet Potter?"

Harriet did not recognize the man's voice. Then a woman shouted, "They've crashed, Ted! Crashed in the garden!"

Harriet's head was swimming.

"Hagrid," she repeated stupidly, and her knees buckled.

The next thing she knew, she was lying on her back on what felt like cushions, with a burning sensation in her ribs and right arm. Her missing tooth had been regrown. The scar on her forehead was still throbbing.

"Hagrid?"

She opened her eyes and saw that she was lying on a sofa in an unfamiliar, lamplit sitting room. Her rucksack and purse lay on the floor a short distance away, wet and muddy. A fair-haired, big-bellied man was watching Harriet anxiously.

"Hagrid's fine, miss," said the man, "the wife's seeing to him now. How are you feeling? Anything else broken? I've fixed your ribs, your tooth, and your arm. I'm Ted, by the way, Ted Tonks — Dora's father."

Harriet sat up too quickly: Lights popped in front of her eyes and she felt sick and giddy.

"Voldemort —"

"Easy, now," said Ted Tonks, placing a hand on Harriet's shoulder and pushing her back against the cushions. "That was a nasty crash you just had. What happened, anyway? Something go wrong with the bike? Arthur Weasley overstretch himself again, him and his Muggle contraptions?"

"No," said Harriet, as her scar pulsed like an open wound. "Death Eaters, loads of them — we were chased —"

"Death Eaters?" said Ted sharply. "What d'you mean, Death Eaters? I thought they didn't know you were being moved tonight, I thought —"

"They knew," said Harriet.

Ted Tonks looked up at the ceiling as though he could see through it to the sky above.

"Well, we know our protective charms hold, then, don't we? They shouldn't be able to get within a hundred yards of the place in any direction."

Now Harriet understood why Voldemort had vanished; it had been at the point when the motorbike crossed the barrier of the Order's charms. She only hoped they would continue to work: She imagined Voldemort, a hundred yards above them as they spoke, looking for a way to penetrate what Harriet visualized as a great transparent bubble.

She swung her legs off the sofa; she needed to see Hagrid with her own eyes before she would believe that he was alive. She had barely stood up, however, when a door opened and Hagrid squeezed through it, his face covered in mud and blood, limping a little but miraculously alive.

"Harriet!"

Knocking over two delicate tables and an aspidistra, he covered the floor between them in two strides and pulled Harriet into a hug that nearly cracked her newly repaired ribs. "Blimey, Harriet, how did yeh get out o' that? I thought we were both goners."

"Yeah, me too. I can't believe —"

Harriet broke off. She had just noticed the woman who had entered the room behind Hagrid.

"You!" she shouted, and she thrust her hand into her pocket, but it was empty.

"Your wand's here, miss," said Ted, tapping it on Harriet's arm. "It fell right beside you, I picked it up. And that's my wife you're shouting at."

"Oh, I'm — I'm sorry."

As she moved forward into the room, Mrs. Tonks's resemblance to her sister Bellatrix became much less pronounced: Her hair was a light, soft brown and her eyes were wider and kinder. Nevertheless, she looked a little haughty after Harriet's exclamation.

"What happened to our daughter?" she asked. "Hagrid said you were ambushed; where is Nymphadora?"

"I don't know," said Harriet. "We don't know what happened to anyone else."

She and Ted exchanged looks. A mixture of fear and guilt gripped Harriet at the sight of their expressions; if any of the others had died, it was her fault, all her fault. She had consented to the plan, given them her hair. . . .

"The Portkey," she said, remembering all of a sudden. "We've got to get back to the Burrow and find out — then we'll be able to send you word, or — or Tonks will, once she's —"

"Dora'll be okay, 'Dromeda," said Ted. "She knows her stuff, she's been in plenty of tight spots with the Aurors. The Portkey's through here," he added to Harriet. "It's supposed to leave in three minutes, if you want to take it."

"Yeah, we do," said Harriet. She seized her rucksack and purse, swung them onto her shoulders. "I —"

She looked at Mrs. Tonks, wanting to apologize for the state of fear in which she left her and for which she felt so terribly responsible, but no words occurred to her that did not seem hollow and insincere.

"I'll tell Tonks — Dora — to send word, when she . . . Thanks for patching us up, thanks for everything. I —"

She was glad to leave the room and follow Ted Tonks along a short hallway and into a bedroom. Hagrid came after them, bending low to avoid hitting his head on the door lintel.

"There you go, miss. That's the Portkey."

Mr. Tonks was pointing to a small, silver-backed hairbrush lying on the dressing table.

"Thanks," said Harriet, reaching out to place a finger on it, ready to leave.

"Wait a moment," said Hagrid, looking around. "Harriet, where's Hedwig?"

"She . . . she got hit," said Harriet.

The realization crashed over her: She felt ashamed of herself as the tears stung her eyes. The owl had been her companion, her one great link with the magical world whenever she had been forced to return to the Dursleys.

Hagrid reached out a great hand and patted her painfully on the shoulder.

"Never mind," he said gruffly. "Never mind. She had a great old life —"

"Hagrid!" said Ted Tonks warningly, as the hairbrush glowed bright blue, and Hagrid only just got his forefinger to it in time.

With a jerk behind the navel as though an invisible hook and line had dragged her forward, Harriet was pulled into nothingness, spinning uncontrollably, her finger glued to the Portkey as she and Hagrid hurtled away from Mr. Tonks. Harriet's feet slammed onto hard ground and she fell onto her hands and knees in the yard of the Burrow. She heard screams.

Throwing aside the no longer glowing hairbrush, Harriet stood up, swaying slightly, and saw Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and Neville running down the steps by the back door as Hagrid, who had also collapsed on landing, clambered laboriously to his feet.

Neville gave her a hug and she gave it back. Then they looked at Ginny and Molly.

"Harriet? You are the real Harriet? What happened? Where are the others?" cried Mrs. Weasley.

"What d'you mean? Isn't anyone else back?" Harriet panted.

Neville let her lean on his side for support.

The answer was clearly etched in Mrs. Weasley's pale face.

"The Death Eaters were waiting for us," Harriet told her, "We were surrounded the moment we took off – they knew it was tonight – I don't know what happened to anyone else, four of them chased us, it was all we could do to get away, and then Voldemort caught up with us –"

She could hear the self-justifying note in her voice, the plea for her to understand why she did not know what had happened to her sons, but –

"Thank goodness you're all right," she said, pulling her into a hug letting her stay in Neville's support.

"Haven't go' any brandy, have yeh, Molly?" asked Hagrid a little shakily, "Fer medicinal purposes?"

She could have summoned it by magic, but as she hurried back toward the crooked house, Harriet knew that she wanted to hide her face. She turned to Ginny and she answered her unspoken plea for information at once.

"Ron and Tonks should have been back first, but they missed their Portkey, it came back without them," she said, pointing at a rusty oil can lying on the ground nearby.

"And that one," she pointed at an ancient sneaker, "should have been Dad and Fred's, they were supposed to be second. You and Hagrid were third and," she checked her watch, "if they made it, George and Lupin ought to be back in about a minute."

Mrs. Weasley reappeared carrying a bottle of brandy, which she handed to Hagrid. He uncorked it and drank it straight down in one.

"Mum!" shouted Ginny pointing to a spot several feet away.

A blue light had appeared in the darkness: It grew larger and brighter, and Lupin and George appeared, spinning and then falling.

Harriet knew immediately that there was something wrong: Lupin was supporting George, who was unconscious and whose face was covered in blood.

Lupin carried George into the house and through the kitchen to the living room, where they laid him on the sofa. As the lamplight fell across George's head, Ginny gasped: One of George's ears was missing. The side of his head and neck were drenched in wet, shockingly scarlet blood.

While he did that Neville helped Harriet get in the house. She was still to light in his opinion.

No sooner had Mrs. Weasley bent over her son that Lupin grabbed Harriet by the upper arm and dragged her from Neville, none too gently, back into the kitchen, where Hagrid was still attempting to ease his bulk through the back door.

"Oi!" said Hagrid indignantly,

"Le' go of her! Le' go of Harriet!"

Lupin ignored him.

"What creature sat in the corner the first time that Harriet Potter visited my office at Hogwarts?" he said, giving Harriet a small shake. "Answer me!"

"A – a Grindylow in a tank, wasn't it?"

Lupin released Harriet and fell back against a kitchen cupboard.

"Wha' was tha' about?" roared Hagrid.

Neville had her back in his arms and taking her to a couch.

"I'm sorry, Harriet, but I had to check," said Lupin tersely.

"We've been betrayed. Voldemort knew that you were being moved tonight and the only people who could have told him were directly involved in the plan. You might have been an impostor."

"So why aren' you checkin' me?" panted Hagrid, still struggling with the door.

"You're half-giant," said Lupin, looking up at Hagrid. "The Polyjuice Potion is designed for human use only."

"None of the Order would have told Voldemort we were moving tonight," said Harriet. "Voldemort only caught up with me toward the end, he didn't know which one I was in the beginning. If he'd been in on the plan he'd have known from the start I was the one with Hagrid."

"Voldemort caught up with you?" said Lupin sharply. "What happened? How did you escape?"

Harry explained how the Death Eaters pursuing them had seemed to recognize her as the true Harriet, how they had abandoned the chase, how they must have summoned Voldemort, who had appeared just before she and Hagrid had reached the sanctuary of here.

"They recognized you? But how? What had you done?"

"I . . ." Harriet tried to remember; the whole journey seemed like a blur of panic and confusion. "I saw Stan Shunpike . . . . You know, the bloke who was the conductor on the Knight Bus? And I tried to Disarm him instead of – well, he doesn't know what he's doing, does he? He must be Imperiused!"

Lupin looked aghast.

"Harriet, the time for Disarming is past! These people are trying to capture and kill you! At least Stun if you aren't prepared to kill!"

"We were hundreds of feet up! Stan's not himself, and if I Stunned him and he'd fallen, he'd have died the same as if I'd used Avada Kedavra Expelliarmus saved me from Voldemort two years ago," Harriet added defiantly.

Lupin was reminding her of the sneering Hufflepuff Zacharias Smith, who had jeered at Harriet for wanting to teach Dumbledore's Army how to Disarm.

"Yes, Harriet," said Lupin with painful restraint, "and a great number of Death Eaters witnessed that happening! Forgive me, but it was a very unusual move then, under the imminent threat of death. Repeating it tonight in front of Death Eaters who either witnessed or heard about the first occasion was close to suicidal!"

"So you think I should have killed Stan Shunpike?" said Harriet angrily.

"Of course not," said Lupin, "but the Death Eaters – frankly, most people! – would have expected you to attack back! Expelliarmus is a useful spell, Harriet, but the Death Eaters seem to think it is your signature spell, and I urge you not to let it become so!"

Lupin was making Harriet feel idiotic, and yet there was still a grain of defiance inside her.

"I won't blast people out of my way just because they're there," said Harriet, "That's Voldemort's job."

Lupin's retort was lost: Finally succeeding in squeezing through the door, Hagrid staggered to a chair and sat down; it collapsed beneath him. Ignoring his mingled oaths and apologies, Harriet addressed Lupin again.

"Will George be okay?"

All Lupin's frustration with Harriet seemed to drain away at the question.

"I think so, although there's no chance of replacing his ear, not when it's been cursed off –"

There was a scuffling from outside. Lupin dived for the back door; Harriet leapt over Hagrid's legs, winced for a second and then sprinted into the yard. Neville did the same thing but didn't wince.

Two figures had appeared in the yard, and as Harriet and Neville ran toward them they realized they were Hermione, now returning to her normal appearance, and Kingsley, both clutching a bent coat hanger, Hermione flung herself into Harriet's and Neville's arms, but Kingsley showed no pleasure at the sight of any of them. Over Hermione's shoulder Harriet saw him raise his wand and point it at Lupin's chest.

"The last words Albus Dumbledore spoke to the pair of us!"

"'Harriet is the best hope we have. Trust her,'" said Lupin calmly.

Kingsley turned his wand on Harriet, but Lupin said, "It's her, I've checked!"

"All right, all right!" said Kingsley, stowing his wand back beneath his cloak, "But somebody betrayed us! They knew, they knew it was tonight!"

"So it seems," replied Lupin, "but apparently they did not realize that there would be seven Harriets."

"Small comfort!" snarled Kingsley. "Who else is back?"

"Only Harriet, Hagrid, George, and me."

Hermione stifled a little moan behind her hand.

"What happened to you?" Lupin asked Kingsley.

"Followed by five, injured two, might've killed one," Kingsley reeled off, and we saw You-Know-Who as well, he joined the chase halfway through but vanished pretty quickly. Remus, he can –"

"Fly," supplied Harriet. "I saw him too, he came after Hagrid and me."

"So that's why he left, to follow you!" said Kingsley, "I couldn't understand why he'd vanished. But what made him change targets?"

"Harriet behaved a little too kindly to Stan Shunpike," said Lupin.

"Stan?" repeated Hermione. "But I thought he was in Azkaban?"

Kingsley let out a mirthless laugh.

"Hermione, there's obviously been a mass breakout which the Ministry has hushed up. Travers's hood fell off when I cursed him, he's supposed to be inside too. But what happened to you, Remus? Where's George?"

"He lost an ear," said Lupin.

"lost an - ?" repeated Hermione in a high voice.

"Snape's work," said Lupin.

"Snape?" shouted Harriet. "You didn't say –"

"He lost his hood during the chase. Sectumsempra ( Harriet twitched for a second and Neville squeezed her hand getting her to calm down) was always a speciality of Snape's. I wish I could say I'd paid him back in kind, but it was all I could do to keep George on the broom after he was injured, he was losing so much blood."

Silence fell between the four of them as they looked up at the sky. There was no sign of movement; the stars stared back, unblinking, indifferent, obscured by flying friends.

"Harriet, Neville, give us a hand!" called Hagrid hoarsely from the door, in which he was stuck again.

Glad of something to do, they pulled him free, then headed through the empty kitchen and back into the sitting room, where Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were still tending to George. Mrs. Weasley had staunched his bleeding now, and by the lamplight Harriet saw a clean gaping hole where George's ear had been.

"How is he?" Neville asked with an around Harriet.

Mrs. Weasley looked around and said, "I can't make it grow back, not when it's been removed by Dark Magic. But it could've been so much worse . . . . He's alive."

"Yeah," said Harriet. "Thank God."

"Did I hear someone else in the yard?" Ginny asked.

"Hermione and Kingsley," said Neville.

"Thank goodness," Ginny whispered.

Harriet nodded and then opened her mouth but before she could say anything, there was a great crash from the kitchen.

"I'll prove who I am, Kingsley, after I've seen my son, now back off if you know what's good for you!"

Harriet had never heard Mr. Weasley shout like that before. He burst into the living room, his bald patch gleaming with sweat, his spectacles askew, Fred right behind him, both pale but uninjured.

"Arthur!" sobbed Mrs. Weasley. "Oh thank goodness!"

"How is he?"

Mr. Weasley dropped to his knees beside George. For the first time since Harriet had known him, Fred seemed to be lost for words. He gaped over the back of the sofa at his twin's wound as if he could not believe what he was seeing.

Perhaps roused by the sound of Fred and their father's arrival, George stirred.

"How do you feel, Georgie?" whispered Mrs. Weasley.

George's fingers groped for the side of his head.

"Saintlike," he murmured.

"What's wrong with him?" croaked Fred, looking terrified.

"Is his mind affected?"

"Saintlike," repeated George, opening his eyes and looking up at his brother. "You see. . . I'm holy. Holey, Fred, geddit?"

Mrs. Weasley sobbed harder than ever. Color flooded Fred's pale face.

"Pathetic," he told George. "Pathetic! With the whole wide world of ear-related humor before you, you go for holey?"

"Ah well," said George, grinning at his tear-soaked mother. "You'll be able to tell us apart now, anyway, Mum."

He looked around.

"Hi, Harriet – you are Harriet, right?"

"Yeah, I am," said Harriet, moving closer to the sofa.

"Well, at least we got you back okay," said George. "Why aren't Ron and Bill huddled round my sickbed?"

"They're not back yet, George," said Mrs. Weasley.

George's grin faded. Harriet glanced at Ginny and Neville and motioned to them to accompany her back outside. As they walked through the kitchen she said in a low voice.

"Ron and Tonks should be back by now. They didn't have a long journey; Auntie Muriel's not that far from here."

Harriet said nothing. As they walked down the back steps into the dark yard, Neville took her hand.

Kingsley was striding backward and forward, glancing up at the sky every time he turned. Hagrid, Hermione, and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, gazing upward in silence. None of them looked around when Harriet, Neville and Ginny joined their silent vigil.

The minutes stretched into what might as well have been years. The slightest breath of wind made them all jump and turn toward the whispering bush or tree in the hope that one of the missing Order members might leap unscathed from its leaves –

And then a broom materialized directly above them and streaked toward the ground –

"It's them!" screamed Hermione.

Tonks landed in a long skid that sent earth and pebbles everywhere.

"Remus!" Tonks cried as she staggered off the broom into Lupin's arms. His face was set and white: He seemed unable to speak,

Ron tripped dazedly toward Harriet, Neville and Hermione.

"You're okay," he mumbled, before Hermione flew at him and hugged him tightly.

"'M all right," said Ron, patting her on the back. "'M fine."

"Ron was great," said Tonks warmly, relinquishing her hold on Lupin. "Wonderful. Stunned one of the Death Eaters, straight to the head, and when you're aiming at a moving target from a flying broom —"

Harriet smiled proud of her DA member.

"You did?" said Hermione, gazing up at Ron with her arms still around his neck.

"Always the tone of surprise," he said a little grumpily, breaking free. "Are we the last back?"

"No," said Ginny, "we're still waiting for Bill and Fleur and Mad-Eye and Mundungus. I'm going to tell Mum and Dad you're okay, Ron —"

She ran back inside.

"So what kept you? What happened?" Lupin sounded almost angry at Tonks.

"Bellatrix," said Tonks. "She wants me quite as much as she wants Harriet, Remus, she tried very hard to kill me. I just wish I'd got her, I owe Bellatrix. But we definitely injured Rodolphus. . . . Then we got to Ron's Auntie Muriel's and we'd missed our Portkey and she was fussing over us —"

A muscle was jumping in Lupin's jaw. He nodded, but seemed unable to say anything else.

"So what happened to you lot?" Tonks asked, turning to Harriet, Hermione, and Kingsley.

They recounted the stories of their own journeys, but all the time the continued absence of Bill, Fleur, Mad-Eye, and Mundungus seemed to lie upon them like a frost, its icy bite harder and harder to ignore.

"I'm going to have to get back to Downing Street, I should have been there an hour ago," said Kingsley finally, after a last sweeping gaze at the sky. "Let me know when they're back."

Lupin nodded. With a wave to the others, Kingsley walked away into the darkness toward the gate. Harriet thought she heard the faintest pop as Kingsley Disapparated just beyond the Burrow's boundaries.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came racing down the back steps, Ginny behind them. Both parents hugged Ron before turning to Lupin and Tonks.

"Thank you," said Mrs. Weasley, "for our sons."

"Don't be silly, Molly," said Tonks at once.

"How's George?" asked Lupin.

"What's wrong with him?" piped up Ron.

"He's lost —"

But the end of Mrs. Weasley's sentence was drowned in a general outcry: A thestral had just soared into sight and landed a few feet from them. Bill and Fleur slid from its back, wind swept but un hurt.

"Bill! Thank God, thank God —"

Mrs. Weasley ran forward, but the hug Bill bestowed upon her was perfunctory. Looking directly at his father, he said, "Mad-Eye's dead."

Nobody spoke, nobody moved. Harriet felt as though something inside her was falling, falling through the earth, leaving her forever.

"We saw it," said Bill; Fleur nodded, tear tracks glittering on her cheeks in the light from the kitchen window. "It happened just after we broke out of the circle: Mad-Eye and Dung were close by us, they were heading north too. Voldemort — he can fly — went straight for them. Dung panicked, I heard him cry out, Mad-Eye tried to stop him, but he Disapparated. Voldemort's curse hit Mad-Eye full in the face, he fell backward off his broom and — there was nothing we could do, nothing, we had half a dozen of them on our own tail —"

Bill's voice broke.

"Of course you couldn't have done anything," said Lupin.

They all stood looking at each other. Harriet could not quite comprehend it. Mad-Eye dead; it could not be. . . . Mad-Eye, so tough, so brave, the consummate survivor . . .

At last it seemed to dawn on everyone, though nobody said it, that there was no point waiting in the yard anymore, and in silence they followed Mr. and Mrs. Weasley back into the Burrow, and into the living room, where Fred and George were laughing together.

"What's wrong?" said Fred, scanning their faces as they entered. "What's happened? Who's — ?"

"Mad-Eye," said Mr. Weasley. "Dead."

The twins' grins turned to grimaces of shock. Nobody seemed to know what to do. Tonks was crying silently into a handkerchief: She had been close to Mad-Eye, Harriet knew, his favorite and his protégée at the Ministry of Magic. Hagrid, who had sat down on the floor in the corner where he had most space, was dabbing at his eyes with his tablecloth-sized handkerchief.

Bill walked over to the sideboard and pulled out a bottle of firewhisky and some glasses.

"Here," he said, and with a wave of his wand he sent twelve full glasses soaring through the room to each of them, holding the thirteenth aloft. "Mad-Eye."

"Mad-Eye," they all said, and drank.

"Mad-Eye," echoed Hagrid, a little late, with a hiccup.

The firewhisky seared Harriet's throat. It seemed to burn feeling back into her, dispelling the numbness and sense of unreality, firing her with something that was like courage.

"So Mundungus disappeared?" said Lupin, who had drained his own glass in one.

The atmosphere changed at once. Everybody looked tense, watching Lupin, both wanting him to go on, it seemed to Harriet, and slightly afraid of what they might hear.

"I know what you're thinking," said Bill, "and I wondered that too, on the way back here, because they seemed to be expecting us, didn't they? But Mundungus can't have betrayed us. They didn't know there would be seven Harriets, that confused them the moment we appeared, and in case you've forgotten, it was Mundungus who suggested that little bit of skullduggery. Why wouldn't he have told them the essential point? I think Dung panicked, it's as simple as that. He didn't want to come in the first place, but Mad-Eye made him, and You-Know-Who went straight for them. It was enough to make anyone panic."

"You-Know-Who acted exactly as Mad-Eye expected him to," sniffed Tonks. "Mad-Eye said he'd expect the real Harriet to be with the toughest, most skilled Aurors. He chased Mad-Eye first, and when Mundungus gave them away he switched to Kingsley. . . ."

"Yes, and zat eez all very good," snapped Fleur, "but still eet does not explain 'ow zey knew we were moving 'Arriet tonight, does eet? Somebody must 'ave been careless. Somebody let slip ze date to an outsider. It is ze only explanation for zem knowing ze date but not ze 'ole plan."

She glared around at them all, tear tracks still etched on her beautiful face, silently daring any of them to contradict her. Nobody did. The only sound to break the silence was that of Hagrid hiccuping from behind his handkerchief. Harriet glanced at Hagrid, who had just risked his own life to save Harriet's — Hagrid, whom she loved, whom she trusted, who had once been tricked into giving Voldemort crucial information in exchange for a dragon's egg. . . .

"No," Harriet said aloud, and they all looked at her, surprised: The firewhisky seemed to have amplified her voice. "I mean . . . if somebody made a mistake," Harriet went on, "and let something slip, I know they didn't mean to do it. It's not their fault," she repeated, again a little louder than she would usually have spoken. "We've got to trust each other. I trust all of you, I don't think anyone in this room would ever sell me to Voldemort. Not even Snape, he may not like me but Dumbledore told me he hoes dad a life debt and my mum an apology from something."

More silence followed his words. They were all looking at her while Lupin knew what she was talking about; Harriet felt a little hot again, and drank some more firewhisky for something to do. As she drank, she thought of Mad-Eye. Mad-Eye had always been scathing about Dumbledore's willingness to trust people.

"Well said, Harriet," said Fred unexpectedly.

"Yeah, 'ear, 'ear," said George, with half a glance at Fred, the corner of whose mouth twitched.

Lupin was wearing an odd expression as he looked at Harriet. It was close to pitying.

"You think I'm a fool?" demanded Harriet.

"No, I think you're like James," said Lupin, "who would have regarded it as the height of dishonor to mistrust his friends."

Harriet knew what Lupin was getting at: that her father had been betrayed by his friend, Peter Pettigrew. She felt irrationally angry. She wanted to argue, but Lupin had turned away from her, set down her glass upon a side table, and addressed Bill, "There's work to do. I can ask Kingsley whether —"

Unauthorized access.

"No," said Bill at once, "I'll do it, I'll come."

"Where are you going?" said Tonks and Fleur together.

"Mad-Eye's body," said Lupin. "We need to recover it."

"Can't it — ?" began Mrs. Weasley with an appealing look at Bill.

"Wait?" said Bill. "Not unless you'd rather the Death Eaters took it?"

Nobody spoke. Lupin and Bill said good-bye and left.

The rest of them now dropped into chairs, all except for Harriet, who remained standing. The suddenness and completeness of death was with them like a presence.

"I've got to go too," said Harriet.

Eleven pairs of startled eyes looked at her.

"Don't be silly, Harriet," said Mrs. Weasley. "What are you talking about?"

"I can't stay here."

She rubbed her forehead; it was prickling again, it had not hurt like this for more than a year.

"You're all in danger while I'm here. I don't want —"

"But don't be so silly!" said Mrs. Weasley. "The whole point of tonight was to get you here safely, and thank goodness it worked. And Fleur's agreed to get married here rather than in France, we've arranged everything so that we can all stay together and look after you —"

She did not understand; she was making her feel worse, not better.

"If Voldemort finds out I'm here —"

"But why should he?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

"There are a dozen places you might be now, Harriet," said Mr. Weasley. "He's got no way of knowing which safe house you're in."

"It's not me I'm worried for!" said Harriet.

Neville went back a little. The one thing you learn at school and a couple, _never _get Harriet mad. And if she is be careful.

Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Fred went a little back to.

"We know that," said Mr. Weasley quietly, "but it would make our efforts tonight seem rather pointless if you left."

"Yer not goin' anywhere," growled Hagrid. "Blimey, Harriet, after all we wen' through ter get you here?"

"Yeah, what about my bleeding ear?" said George, hoisting himself up on his cushions.

"I know that —"

"Mad-Eye wouldn't want —"

"I KNOW!" Harriet bellowed.

She felt beleaguered and blackmailed: Did they think she did not know what they had done for her, didn't they understand that it was for precisely that reason that she wanted to go now, before they had to suffer any more on her behalf? There was a long and awkward silence in which her scar continued to prickle and throb, and which was broken at last by Mrs. Weasley.

"Where's Hedwig, Harriet?" she said coaxingly. "We can put her up with Pigwidgeon and give her something to eat."

Her insides clenched like a fist. She could not tell her the truth. She drank the last of her firewhisky to avoid answering.

"Wait till it gets out yeh did it again, Harriet," said Hagrid. "Escaped him, fought him off when he was right on top of yeh!"

"It wasn't me," said Harriet flatly. "It was my wand. My wand acted of its own accord."

After a few moments, Hermione said gently, "But that's impossible, Harriet. You mean that you did magic without meaning to; you reacted instinctively."

"No," said Harriet. "The bike was falling, I couldn't have told you where Voldemort was, but my wand spun in my hand and found him and shot a spell at him, and it wasn't even a spell I recognized. I've never made gold flames appear before."

"Often," said Mr. Weasley, "when you're in a pressured situation you can produce magic you never dreamed of. Small children often find, before they're trained —"

"It wasn't like that," said Harriet through gritted teeth.

Her scar was burning: She felt angry and frustrated; she hated the idea that they were all imagining her to have power to match Voldemort's.

No one said anything. She knew that they did not believe her. Now that she came to think of it, she had never heard of a wand performing magic on its own before.

Her scar seared with pain; it was all she could do not to moan aloud. Muttering about fresh air, she set down her glass and left the room.

Neville was about to go see what was wrong but Hermione stopped him.

"Leave her alone for a while. She's been through a lot lately."

He nodded.

As she crossed the dark yard, the great skeletal thestral looked up, rustled its enormous batlike wings, then resumed its grazing. Harriet stopped at the gate into the garden, staring out at its overgrown plants, rubbing her pounding forehead and thinking of Dumbledore.

Dumbledore would have believed her, she knew it. Dumbledore would have known how and why Harriet's wand had acted independently, because Dumbledore always had the answers; he had known about wands, had explained to Harriet the strange connection that existed between her wand and Voldemort's . . . But Dumbledore, like Mad-Eye, like Sirius, like her parents, like her poor owl, all were gone where Harriet could never talk to them again. She felt a burning in her throat that had nothing to do with firewhisky. . . .

And then, out of nowhere, the pain in her scar peaked. As she clutched his forehead and closed her eyes, a voice screamed inside her head.

_"You told me the problem would be solved by using another's wand!" _

_And into her mind burst the vision of an emaciated old man lying in rags upon a stone floor, screaming, a horrible, drawn-out scream, a scream of unendurable agony. . . . _

_"No! No! I beg you, I beg you. . . ." _

_"You lied to Lord Voldemort, Ollivander!" _

_"I did not. . . . I swear I did not. . . ." _

_"You sought to help Potter, to help him escape me!" _

_"I swear I did not . . . I believed a different wand would work. . . ." _

_"Explain, then, what happened. Lucius's wand is destroyed!" _

_"I cannot understand . . . The connection . . . exists only . . . between your two wands. . . ." _

_"Lies!" _

_"Please . . . I beg you. . . ." _

_And Harriet saw the white hand raise its wand and felt Voldemort's surge of vicious anger, saw the frail old man on the floor writhe in agony — _

"Harriet?"

It was over as quickly as it had come: Harriet stood shaking in the darkness, clutching the gate into the garden, her heart racing, her scar still tingling. It was several moments before she realized that Neville, Ron and Hermione were at her side.

"Harriet, come back in the house," Neville whispered. "You aren't still thinking of leaving?"

"Yeah, you've got to stay, mate," said Ron, thumping Harriet on the back.

"Are you all right?" Hermione asked, close enough now to look into Harriet's face. "You look awful!"

"Well," said Harriet shakily, "I probably look better than Ollivander. . . ."

When she had finished telling them what she had seen, Neville was shocked, Ron looked appalled, but Hermione downright terrified.

"But it was supposed to have stopped! Your scar — it wasn't supposed to do this anymore! You mustn't let that connection open up again — Dumbledore wanted you to close your mind!"

When Harriet did not reply, she gripped her arm.

"Harriet, he's taking over the Ministry and the newspapers and half the Wizarding world! Don't let him inside your head too." Hermione said.

She nodded.


	5. Chapter 5

A few weeks had gone by and they were all at the Burrow getting ready for Bill and Fleur's wedding. It was the day after Harriet's birthday and she decided to have a mixture of a birthday and wedding cake.

Three hours until the wedding everyone was getting ready. Neville was inside when he heard something.

"Zip me will you?" Harriet said.

So he started to zipper it when she said something.

"Silly isn't it? Having a wedding at this time."

"Maybe that's why they're having it. To try and cheer everyone up." he said.

Then they looked at each other and gave each other a kiss.

Outside Arthur, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George and Hagrid were getting ready for the wedding.

"All together now! One, two, three!" Arthur said.

So they all started lifting the tent.

After that the minister appeared.

"Bloody hell, what's the minister of magic doing here?" George asked.

He told them that he wanted to talk to Harriet, Neville, Ron and Hermione.

"To what do we owe the honor of minister?" Harriet asked.

"This." he said with a piece of paper.

"And this is?" Neville asked.

_"'The Last Will and Testament of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore'... _Yes, here we are..._ 'To Ronald Bilius Weasley, I leave my Deluminator, in the hope that he will remember me when he uses it.'"_

"Dumbledore left it for me?" Ron said.

Then he opened it and lights were going in it. Then he opened it again and they went back to their lights.

"Wicked."

_"'To Miss Hermione Jean Granger, I leave my copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, in the hope that she will find it entertaining and instructive.'"_

She took the book and looked at it.

_"To Neville Frank Longbottom I leave tears of Fawkes, to heal someone when they need it."_

He took it and looked at it wondering why he left him some.

_"And last, 'To Harriet Lily Potter,'"_ he read, and Harriet's insides contracted with a sudden excitement, _"'I leave the Snitch she caught in her first Quidditch match at Hogwarts, as a reminder of the rewards of perseverance and skill.'"_

He handed it to Harriet and she put it in her hand. Then she looked at him again.

"Is that it then?"

"Not quite. Dumbledore left you a second bequest, Potter. The sword of Gryffindor. Unfortunately the sword is missing but it belongs to-"

"Harriet, it belongs to Harriet. It appeared to her when she needed it." Hermione said.

"It can come to any Gryffindor that needs it. I don't know what you're up to Ms. Potter but you can't win this war on your own."

Then he left.

_'I'm not by myself. It's my job to defeat Voldemort, which means I need help from my friends to end this war. I may be the only person that can defeat him but with Ron, Hermione and Neville to help me I'll finish my job. You'll see.' _she thought.

A few hours later they were celebrating the wedding. Harriet was standing there with the snitch next to her. She looked at it and put it in her purse again.

She saw Ron looking at Hermione and Neville was sitting there having some pumpkin juice. Then she saw someone else and was stuck in thought.

"Hello Harriet." Luna said. "I just made you lose your thought didn't I? I could see it in your eyes."

"No, how are you Luna?"

"Exceptionally ordinary. I got bit by a gnome a few minutes ago."

"My daughter can be strong. Xenophilius Lovegood." he said and shook her hand.

Luna could tell Harriet was trying to do something.

"Come daddy, Harriet doesn't want to talk to us right now."

She smiled saying thank you silently. Then she headed to a table.

"Excuse me sir, my I sit down?"

"Ms. Potter! Of course." Dodge said.

"I was reading the paper and it seems you know Dumbledore quite well."

"As well as anyone," said Doge, dabbing his eyes with a napkin. "Certainly I knew him longest, if you don't count Aberforth – and somehow, people never do seem to count Aberforth."

"I didn't know Dumbledore had a brother."

"Ah yes, he was always quiet."

"Don't be so sure about that. Bathilda Bagshot knew the Dumbledore's quite well. She was close to the Dumbledore's since they lived in Godric Hollows." Muriel said.

"Godric Hollows, Bathilda Bagshot grew up there?" Harriet said.

"That's where she met the Dumbledore's." she said.

"You don't mean they lived there to?"

"Of course they did. Albus grew up there. Honestly my girl, are you sure you knew him at all?" Muriel asked.

_'Maybe _that's _why he wanted us to go in hiding there.' _she thought.

Then suddenly a patronus appeared.

"The ministry has fallen. The minister of magic is dead. They're coming, they're coming." Then it disappeared.

"Nice meeting you Ms. Potter." Then Dodge apperated.

Ron bumped into someone and then people appeared and they started fighting. Harriet, Neville, Ron and Hermione went to get together.

"GO! GO!" Remus said while he watched Harriet look at everyone.

So Harriet, Neville, Ron and Hermione grabbed hands and were gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Suddenly they were in a city.

"Where are we?" Ron asked.

"Shocks pray avenue. I used to come to theater here with mum and dad. I don't know why I thought of this it just popped into my head." Hermione said.

So they kept going and headed to a corner.

"We need to change." she said opening her purse.

She and Harriet reached into their bags and grabbed each of them some clothes.

"What is that?" Ron asked.

"Undetectable extension charm, Remus tought us over the summer. I put everything in here days ago just in case." Hermione said.

"Same here. Mine has me and Neville's things and Hermione has hers and Ron's." Harriet said.

"You're amazing you are." Ron said.

"All of a certain surprise." Hermione said back.

So they got changed under the invisibility cloak and then headed to a coffee shop.

"So where do we go? The Leakey Caldron?" Harriet asked.

"They're after you mate." Ron said.

"He's right." Neville said.

"Coffee?" the waitress said.

"A capachino please." Hermione said.

"You?"

"What she said." Ron said.

"Same." Harriet said.

"Yes please." Neville said.

He had gone to the muggle world and visit Harriet over the summers and learned things about their world. Mrs. Figg aloud him to use her flew but owl her first.

While they talked Harriet saw two men come and she looked at them. Then they turned around and took out their wands.

"Get down!" she yelled.

Then made a shield charm while the other three did as told.

A few seconds later they started dueling a little.

_"Petificus totalus!"_ Hermione said.

Then the second man was frozen.

"Lock the door and shut the lights." Harriet said.

Ron used the deluminator and lost the light. Hermione shut windows.

"This is who was at the astronomy tower last year." Harriet said.

"This is Delahuve. I recognize him from the fight. So what are we gonna do with this one? Kill him?" Ron said.

"Ron!" Hermione said.

"What? What if he was the one to kill Mad-eye that night, would you want to kill him?" he said.

"It's better we swipe their memory." Harriet said.

Neville nodded in agreement.

"You're the boss. Hermione, you're the best at spells." Ron said.

So she walked over to them.

_"Obliviate."_ she said.

After that they left to find somewhere to stay.

"How did they know you were there?" Ron asked.

"Maybe you still have the trace on you?" Hermione said.

"Can't be it's the wizarding law. And besides, I'm only a day older than her and I wasn't detected." Neville said.

"We need to get out of town and find somewhere to go." Harriet said.

"Where?" Neville asked.

"I have an idea. But I don't know if you're going to like it."

So they followed her and when she stopped they recognized it.

"Are you mad!" Ron whispered.

"Well it's here or the street, which one?" she said.

"Here." Hermione, Ron and Neville said together.

Then they went inside and sat in the living room.

"Why don't we go get some sleep and then we can talk some more tomorrow." Neville said.

"I don't wanna be on my own, can we sleep here together tonight?" Hermione asked.

While they talked Harriet's scar started burning.

Then Ron noticed her wincing tightly.

"What is it? What did you see? Is he at my place?" Ron asked.

"No, I just felt anger – he's really angry –" Harriet said.

"But that could be at the Burrow," said Ron loudly. "What else? Didn't you see anything? Was he cursing someone?"

"No, I just felt anger – I couldn't tell –" Harriet felt badgered, confused, and Hermione did not help as she said in a frightened voice,

"Your scar, again? But what's going on? I thought that connection had closed!"

"It did, for a while," muttered Harriet; her scar was still painful, which made it hard to concentrate. "I – I think it's started opening again whenever he loses control, that's how it used to –"

"But then you've got to close your mind!" said Hermione shrilly. "That's why you were supposed to use Occlumency! Otherwise Voldemort can plant false images in your mind- remember Sirius-"

"Yeah I do thanks." she snapped.

"Hermione shut up!" Neville said.

He was worried about her after Hermione saying that.

Then Hermione gasped and Harriet turned around with her wand out. Then they saw another patronus.

"Family's safe. In hiding and guarded do not reply with patronus." Then it was gone.

"They're safe, they're all safe!" Hermione said.

Ron sighed in relief and gave her a hug.

Neville looked at Harriet and saw her fighting the pain of her scar.

Ron looked at Harriet.

"Harriet I-" Ron said.

"It's not a problem," said Harriet, sickened by the pain in her head. "It's your family, 'course you were worried. I'd feel the same way." She looked at Neville. "I _do_ feel the same way."

He smiled and gave her a hug. Worried about her and her scar but focused on right now. Then he let her go.

The pain in her scar was reaching a peak, burning as it had back in the garden of the Burrow.

After that they went to bed.

The next day they started looking around. Harriet found Sirius' room and went inside.

While she did that Ron called for them.

"Harriet, Neville, Hermione, I think I found something!" he shouted for them.

When they got there they saw the door.

"Lovely." Hermione said.

Then Ron pulled the door closed and they saw the letters.

"RAB." Ron said.

Then they went back downstairs and sat in the kitchen listening to Harriet read the letter.

_"I know I'll be dead before you read this but I stole the real Horcrux. And intend to destroy it as soon as I can. R.A.B."_

"R.A.B is Sirius' brother?" Ron said.

"That makes sense, Sirius had said that they were really close." Hermione said.

"So that's gotta be it." Neville said.

"But there's no way we can find out about him." Ron said.

Harriet thought of something.

"It's not over yet." Harriet said. "Kreacher!"

There was a loud crack and the house elf that Harriet had so reluctantly inherited from Sirius appeared out of nowhere in front of the cold and empty fireplace: tiny, half human-sized, his pale skin hanging off him in folds, white hair sprouting copiously from his batlike ears. He was still wearing the filthy rag in which they had first met him, and the contemptuous look he bent upon Harriet showed that his attitude to his change of ownership had altered no more than his outfit.

"Mistress" croaked Kreacher in his bullfrog's voice, and he bowed low; muttering to his knees, "back in my Mistress's old house with the blood-traitors Weasley, Longbottom and the Mudblood –"

"I forbid you to call anyone 'blood traitor' or 'Mudblood,'" growled Harriet.

"I've got a question for you," said Harriet, her heart beating rather fast as she looked down at the elf, "and I order you to answer it truthfully. Understand?"

"Yes, Mistress," said Kreacher, bowing low again. Harriet saw his lips moving soundlessly, undoubtedly framing the insults he was now forbidden to utter.

"Two years ago," said Harriet, "there was a big gold locket in the drawing room upstairs. We threw it out. Did you steal it back?"

There was a moment's silence, during which Kreacher straightened up to look Harriet full in the face. Then he said,

"Yes."

"Where is it now?" asked Harriet jubilantly as Neville, Ron and Hermione looked gleeful.

Kreacher closed his eyes as though he could not bear to see their reactions to his next word.

"Gone."

"Gone?" echoed Harriet, elation floating out of him, "What do you mean, it's gone?"

The elf shivered. He swayed.

"Kreacher," said Harriet fiercely, "I order you –"

"Mundungus Fletcher," croaked the elf, his eyes still tight shut.

"Mundungus Fletcher stole it all; Miss Bella's and Miss Cissy's pictures, my Mistress's gloves, the Order of Merlin, First Class, the goblets with the family crest, and – and – "

Kreacher was gulping for air: His hollow chest was rising and falling rapidly, then his eyes flew open and he uttered a bloodcurdling scream.

"—and the locket, Master Regulus's locket. Kreacher did wrong, Kreacher failed in his orders!"

Harriet reacted instinctively: As Kreacher lunged for the poker standing in the grate, she launched herself upon the elf, flattening her.

Hermione's scream mingled with Kreacher's but Harriet bellowed louder than both of them: "Kreacher, I order you to stay still!"

She felt the elf freeze and released him. Kreacher lay flat on the cold stone floor, tears gushing from his sagging eyes.

"Harriet, let him up!" Hermione whispered.

"So he can beat himself up with the poker?" snorted Harriet, kneeling beside the elf. "I don't think so. Right. Kreacher, I want the truth: How do you know Mundungus Fletcher stole the locket?"

"Kreacher saw him!" gasped the elf as tears poured over his snout and into his mouth full of graying teeth.

"Kreacher saw him coming out of Kreacher's cupboard with his hands full of Kreacher's treasures. Kreacher told the sneak thief to stop, but Mundungus Fletcher laughed and r-ran … "

"You called the locket 'Master Regulus's,'" said Harriet. "Why? Where did it come from? What did Regulus have to do with it? Kreacher, sit up and tell me everything you know about that locket, and everything Regulus had to do with it!"

The elf sat up, curled into a ball, placed his wet face between his knees, and began to rock backward and forward. When he spoke, his voice was muffled but quite distinct in the silent, echoing kitchen.

"Master Sirius ran away, good riddance, for he was a bad boy and broke my Mistress's heart with his lawless ways. But Master Regulus had proper order; he knew what was due to the name of Black and the dignity of his pure blood. For years he talked of the Dark Lord, who was going to bring the wizards out of hiding to rule the Muggles and the Muggle-borns … and when he was sixteen years old, Master Regulus joined the Dark Lord. So proud, so proud, so happy to serve … And one day, a year after he joined, Master Regulus came down to the kitchen to see Kreacher. Master Regulus always liked Kreacher. And Master Regulus said … he said …"

The old elf rocked faster than ever.

"… he said that the Dark Lord required an elf."

"Voldemort needed an elf?" Harriet repeated, looking around at Neville, Ron and Hermione, who looked just as puzzled as he did.

"Oh yes," moaned Kreacher.

"And Master Regulus had volunteered Kreacher. It was an honor, said Master Regulus, an honor for him and for Kreacher, who must be sure to do whatever the Dark Lord ordered him to do … and then to c-come home."

Kreacher rocked still faster, his breath coming in sobs.

"So Kreacher went to the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord did not tell Kreacher what they were to do, but took Kreacher with him to a cave beside the sea. And beyond the cave was a cavern, and in the cavern was a great black lake … "

The hairs on the back of Harriet's head stood up. Kreacher's croaking voice seemed to come to her from across the dark water. She saw what had happened as clearly as though she had been present.

"… There was a boat …"

"There was a b-basin full of potion on the island. The D-Dark Lord made Kreacher drink it …"

The elf quaked from head to foot.

"Kreacher drank, and as he drank he saw terrible thing … Kreacher's insides burned … Kreacher cried for Master Regulus to save him, he cried for his Mistress Black, but the Dark Lord only laughed … He made Kreacher drink all the potion … He dropped a locket into the empty basin … He filled it with more potion."

"And then the Dark Lord sailed away, leaving Kreacher on the island …"

"Kreacher needed water, he crawled to the island's edge and he drank from the black lake … and hands, dead hands, came out of the water and dragged Kreacher under the surface …"

"How did you get away?" Harriet asked, and she was not surprised to hear herself whispering.

Kreacher raised his ugly head and looked Harriet with his great, bloodshot eyes.

"Master Regulus told Kreacher to come back," he said.

"I know – but how did you escape the Inferi?"

Kreacher did not seem to understand.

"Master Regulus told Kreacher to come back," he repeated.

"I know, but – "

"Well, it's obvious, isn't it, Harriet?" said Ron. "He Disapparated!"

"But … you couldn't Apparate in and out of that cave," said Harriet, "otherwise Dumbledore – "

"Elf magic isn't like wizard's magic, is it?" said Ron, "I mean, they can Apparate and Disapparate in and out of Hogwarts when we can't."

There was a silence as Harriet digested this. Hermione spoke, and her voice was icy.

"Of course, Voldemort would have considered the ways of house-elves far beneath his notice … It would never have occurred to him that they might have magic that he didn't."

"The house-elf's highest law is his Master's bidding," intoned Kreacher. "Kreacher was told to come home, so Kreacher came home …"

"Well, then, you did what you were told, didn't you?" said Hermione kindly. "You didn't disobey orders at all!"

Kreacher shook his head, rocking as fast as ever.

"So what happened when you got back?" Harriet asked.

"What did Regulus say when you told him what happened?" Neville asked.

"Master Regulus was very worried, very worried," croaked Kreacher. "Master Regulus told Kreacher to stay hidden and not to leave the house. And then … it was a little while later … Master Regulus came to find Kreacher in his cupboard one night, and Master Regulus was strange, not as he usually was, disturbed in his mind, Kreacher could tell … and he asked Kreacher to take him to the cave, the cave where Kreacher had gone with the Dark Lord … "

And so they had set off. Harriet could visualize them quite clearly, the frightened old elf and the thin, dark Seeker who had so resembled Sirius … Kreacher knew how to open the concealed entrance to the underground cavern, knew how to raise the tiny boat: this time it was his beloved Regulus who sailed with him to the island with its basin of poison …

"And he made you drink the poison?" said Harriet, disgusted.

But Kreacher shook his head and wept. Hermione's hands leapt to her mouth: She seemed to have understood something.

"M-Master Regulus took from his pocket a locket like the one the Dark Lord had," said Kreacher, tears pouring down either side of his snoutlike nose. "And he told Kreacher to take it and, when the basin was empty, to switch the lockets …"

Kreacher's sobs came in great rasps now; Harriet had to concentrate hard to understand him.

"And he order – Kreacher to leave – without him. And he told Kreacher – to go home – and never to tell my Mistress – what he had done – but to destroy – the first locket. And he drank – all the potion – and Kreacher swapped the lockets – and watched … as Master Regulus … was dragged beneath the water … and …"

"Oh, Kreacher!" wailed Hermione, who was crying. She dropped to her knees beside the elf and tried to hug him. At once he was on his feet, cringing away from her, quite obviously repulsed.

"The Mudblood touched Kreacher, he will not allow it, what would his Mistress say?"

"I told you not to call her 'Mudblood'!" snarled Harriet, but the elf was already punishing himself. He fell to the ground and banged his forehead on the floor.

"Stop him – stop him!" Hermione cried. "Oh, don't you see now how sick it is, the way they've got to obey?"

"Kreacher – stop, stop!" shouted Harriet.

The elf lay on the floor, panting and shivering, green mucus glistening around his snot, a bruise already blooming on his pallid forehead where he had struck himself, his eyes swollen and bloodshot and swimming in tears. Harriet had never seen anything so pitiful.

"So you brought the locket home," she said relentlessly, for she was determined to know the full story. "And you tried to destroy it?"

"Nothing Kreacher did made any mark upon it," moaned the elf. "Kreacher tried everything, everything he knew, but nothing, nothing would work … So many powerful spells upon the casing, Kreacher was sure the way to destroy it was to get inside it, but it would not open …Kreacher punished himself, he tried again, he punished himself, he tried again. Kreacher failed to obey orders, Kreacher could not destroy the locket! And his mistress was mad with grief, because Master Regulus had disappeared and Kreacher could not tell her what had happened, no, because Master Regulus had f-f-forbidden him to tell any of the f-f-family what happened in the c-cave …"

Kreacher began to sob so hard that there were no more coherent words. Tears flowed down Hermione's cheeks as she watched Kreacher, but she did not dare touch him again. Neville felt sorry for him. Even Ron, who was no fan of Kreacher's, looked troubled. Harriet sat back on her heels and shook her head, trying to clear it.

"I don't understand you, Kreacher," she said finally.

"Voldemort tried to kill you, Regulus died to bring Voldemort down, but you were still happy to betray Sirius to Voldemort? You were happy to go to Narcissa and Bellatrix, and pass information to Voldemort through them …"

"Harriet, Kreacher doesn't think like that," said Neville. "He's a slave; house-elves are used to bad, even brutal treatment; what Voldemort did to Kreacher wasn't that far out of the common way. What do wizard wars mean to an elf like Kreacher? He's loyal to people who are kind to him, and Mrs. Black must have been, and Regulus certainly was, so he served them willingly and parroted their beliefs. I know what you're going to say," he went on as Harriet began to protest,

"that Regulus changed his mind … but he doesn't seem to have explained that to Kreacher, does he? And I think I know why. Kreacher and Regulus's family were all safest if they kept to the old pure-blood line. Regulus was trying to protect them all."

"Sirius – "

"Sirius was horrible to Kreacher, Harriet, and it's no good looking like that, you know it's true. Kreacher had been alone for such a long time when Sirius came to live here, and he was probably starving for a bit of affection. I'm sure 'Miss Cissy' and 'Miss Bella' were perfectly lovely to Kreacher when he turned up, so he did them a favor and told them everything they wanted to know. I've said all along that wizards would pay for how they treat house-elves. Well, Voldemort did … and so did Sirius." Hermione said.

Then Neville looked at Harriet.

"Like your aunt, uncle and cousin when you lived with them for sixteen years." he whispered.

"Kreacher," said Harriet after a while thinking about what Neville said, "when you feel up to it, er … please sit up."

It was several minutes before Kreacher hiccupped himself into silence. Then he pushed himself into a sitting position again, rubbing his knuckles into his eyes like a small child.

"Kreacher, I am going to ask you to do something," said Harriet.

She glanced at Neville and Hermione for assistance. She wanted to give the order kindly, but at the same time, she could not pretend that it was not an order. However, the change in her tone seemed to have gained them approval: She smiled encouragingly.

"Kreacher, I want you, please, to go and find Mundungus Fletcher. We need to find out where the locket – where Master Regulus's locket is. It's really important. We want to finish the work Master Regulus started, we want to – er – ensure that he didn't die in vain."

Kreacher dropped his fists and looked up at Harriet.

"Find Mundungus Fletcher?" he croaked.

"And bring him here, to Grimmauld Place," said Harriet. "Do you think you could do that for us?"

As Kreacher nodded and got to his feet, Harriet had a sudden inspiration. She pulled out Hagrid's purse and took out the fake horcrux, the substitute locket in which Regulus had placed the note to Voldemort.

"Kreacher, I'd, er, like you to have this," she said, pressing the locket into the elf's hand.

"This belonged to Regulus and I'm sure he'd want you to have it as a token of gratitude for what you—"

"Overkill, mate," said Ron as the elf took one look at the locket, let out a howl of shock and misery, and threw himself back onto the ground.

It took them nearly half an hour to calm down Kreacher, who was so overcome to be presented with a Black family heirloom for his very own that he was too weak at the knees to stand properly. When finally he was able to totter a few steps they all accompanied him to his cupboard, watched him tuck up the locket safely in his dirty blankets, and assured him that they would make its protection their first priority while he was away.

Harriet took a deep breath. "And when this war is over if I survive I'll tell you about my childhood, I know what it's like to be treated bad."

He nodded and then made two low bows to Harriet, Neville and Ron, and even gave a funny little spasm in Hermione's direction that might have been an attempt at a respectful salute, before Disapparating with the usual loud crack.

A few hours later Harriet was in the process of lowering the newspaper when a deafening crack echoed around the kitchen.

For a split second, she did not take in the mass of struggling limbs that had appeared out of thin air right beside her chair. She hurried to her feet as Kreacher disentangled himself and, bowing low to Harriet, croaked,

"Kreacher has returned with the thief Mundungus Fletcher, Mistress."

Mundungus scrambled up and pulled out his wand; Hermione, however, was too quick for him.

"_Expelliarmus!_"

Mundungus's wand soared into the air, and Hermione caught it. Wild-eyed, Mundungus dived for the stairs. Ron rugby-tackled him and Mundungus hit the stone floor with a muffled crunch.

"What?" he bellowed, writhing in his attempts to free himself from Ron's grip.

"Wha've I done? Setting a bleedin' 'house-elf on me, what are you playing at, wha've I done, lemme go, lemme go, of–"

"You're not in much of a position to make threats," said Harriet.

She threw aside the newspaper, crossed the kitchen in a few strides, and dropped to his knees beside Mundungus, who stopped struggling and looked terrified.

Ron got up, panting, and watched as Harriet pointed her wand deliberately at Mundungus's nose. Mundungus stank of stale sweat and tobacco smoke. His hair was matted and his robes stained.

"Kreacher apologizes for the delay in bringing the thief, Masters, Mistress'," croaked the elf. "Fletcher knows how to avoid capture, has many hidey-holes and accomplices. Nevertheless, Kreacher cornered the thief in the end."

"You've done really well, Kreacher," said Harriet, and the elf bowed low.

"Right, we've got a few questions for you," Neville told Mundungus.

"Why the 'ell am I being 'unted down by 'ouse-elves? Or is this about them goblets again? I ain't got none of 'em left, or you could 'ave 'em –"

"It's not about the goblets either, although you're getting warmer," said Harriet. "Shut up and listen."

It felt wonderful to have something to do, someone of whom she could demand some small portion of truth. Harriet's wand was now so close to the bridge of Mundungus's nose that Mundungus had gone cross-eyed trying to keep it in view.

"When you came out this house of anything valuable when Sirius left," Harriet began, but Mundungus interrupted her again.

"Sirius never cared about any of the junk –"

There was the sound of pattering feet, a blaze of shining copper, an echoing clang, and a shriek of agony; Kreacher had taken a run at Mundungus and hit him over the head with a saucepan.

"Call 'im off, call 'im off, 'e should be locked up!" screamed Mundungus, cowering as Kreacher raised the heavy-bottomed pan again.

"Kreacher, no!" shouted Harriet.

Kreacher's thin arms trembled with the weight of the pan, still held aloft.

"Perhaps just one more, Mistress Harriet, for luck?"

"We need him conscious, Kreacher, but if he needs persuading, you can do the honors," she said.

"Thank you very much, Mistress," said Kreacher with a bow, and he retreated a short distance, his great pale eyes still fixed upon Mundungus with loathing.

"When you stripped this house of all the valuables you could find," Harriet began again, "you took a bunch of stuff from the kitchen cupboard. There was a locket there."

Harriet's mouth was suddenly dry: She could sense Neville, Ron and Hermione's tension and excitement too.

"What did you do with it?"

"Why?" asked Mundungus. "Is it valuable?"

"You've still got it!" cried Hermione.

"No, he hasn't," said Ron shrewdly. "He's wondering whether he should have asked more money for it."

"More?" said Mundungus. "That wouldn't have been effing difficult . . .bleedin' gave it away, di'n' I? No choice."

"What do you mean?" Neville asked.

"I was selling in Diagon Alley and she come up to me and asks if I've got a license for trading in magical artifacts. Bleedin' snoop. She was gonna fine me, but she took a fancy to the locket an' told me she'd take it and let me off that time, and to fink meself lucky."

"Who was this woman?" asked Harriet.

"I dunno, some Ministry hag." Mundungus considered for a moment, brow wrinkled. "Little woman. Bow on top of 'er head."

He frowned and then added,

"Looked like a toad."

Harriet dropped her wand: It hit Mundungus on the nose and shot red sparks into his eyebrows, which ignited.

"_Aquamenti!_" screamed Hermione, and a jet of water streamed from her wand, engulfing a spluttering and choking Mundungus.

Harriet looked up and saw her own shock reflected in Neville's, Ron's and Hermione's faces.

"This isn't going to be fun or easy." Ron said.


	7. Chapter 7

Harriet, Neville, Ron and Hermione were hiding behind a wall outside. Waiting for some people from the ministry.

Then Ron saw an assistant in the Improper Use of Magic Office. He used his wand and silently used the stunning spell.

Neville was behind her and caught her before she fell. Ron ran across the street and then they carried her over to the wall.

Hermione took peace's of hair from each person and put some in the potion.

"Right, try and act normal. Then we can go to the ministry." Hermione said.

"This is completely mental." Ron said.

"Completely. And knowing my potions history, I'm nervous about this." Neville said.

"You'll be fine. We made it second year." Harriet said.

Neville looked at them in shock.

"Long story." she said.

After they drank the potion they got out of the room. Then they headed to the ministry.

When they got to where they have to go to get there they split up and headed down to the bathroom.

When it was their turn Ron looked at Neville. "We flush ourselves here?"

Neville nodded.

"That's bloody disgusting!"

So Neville stepped in and pulled the string. Then was gone.

When he got to the ministry Neville and Ron headed to Harriet and Hermione.

Then they saw stone people.

"Are those?" Neville started.

"Muggles, in their, rightful place." Hermione said.

"How long did you say this polyjuice potion going to work Hermione?" Harriet asked.

"I didn't." she said.

They passed through the gates and into a smaller hall, where queues were forming in front of twenty golden grilles housing as many lifts. They had barely joined the nearest one when a voice said,

"Cattermole!"

Then he stopped the door.

"It's still raining in there." Yaxley said.

"You can try in an umbrella." 'Ron' said.

"You realize that I am on my way downstairs to interrogate your wife, Cattermole?"

Then Yaxely left.

"Oh my god! My wife's all alone downstairs! What am I gonna do?" he said.

"Ron, you don't have a wife." Neville said.

"Oh, right. But how am I supposed to stop it raining?"

"Try Finite Incantatem." Hermione said.

"Level 4." the elevator said.

"This is you Ron." Hermione said.

"Right, Finite Incantatem, and if that doesn't work?"

But they were gone before they could answer.

"I say that if we don't find Umbridge we find Ron and try again on a different day." Harriet said.

"Deal." Hermione and Neville said together.

Then the door opened again and saw Umbridge.

"Ah Mathilda, good, we'll go right down."

Then she looked at Harriet and Neville.

"Albert, Jane, aren't you getting out?"

Then they walked out and looked at Hermione. She looked scared.

When Harriet and Neville got to their floor they headed to Umbridge's office.

Harriet dropped something that they stole from the Weasley twins. Then the room started to explode.

While the room was hard to see Harriet and Neville headed to Umbridge's office.

When they got there they strode straight over to the door to examine the eye. It was not moving. It gazed blindly upward, frozen.

The plaque beneath it read:

Dolores Umbridge

Senior Undersecretary to the Minister

Below that a slightly shinier new plaque read:

Head of the Muggle-Born

Registration Commission

Then they turned to face the room again, Harriet raised her wand, and murmured,

"_Accio Locket._"

But got nothing.

"Well, it was worth a shot." Neville said.

"Let's start looking around." Harriet said.

So they started looking around.

Harriet opened the desk and found a list of people.

Arthur Weasley

Blood Status:

Pureblood, but with unacceptable pro-Muggle leanings. Known member of the Order of the Phoenix.

Family:

Wife (pureblood), seven children, two youngest at Hogwarts. NB: Youngest son currently at home, seriously ill, Ministry inspectors have confirmed.

Security Status:

TRACKED. All movements are being monitored.

Strong likelihood Undesirable No. 1 will contact (has stayed with Weasley family previously.

"Undesirable Number One," Harriet muttered under her breath as she replaced Mr. Weasley's folder and shut the drawer.

She straightened up and glanced around the office for fresh hiding places she saw a poster of herself on the wall, with the words UNDESIRABLE NO. 1 emblazoned across her chest. A little pink note was stuck to it with a picture of a kitten in the corner. Harriet moved across to read it and saw that Umbridge had written,

"To be punished."

Then she saw Dumbledore, Hermione and Mad-Eye.

"Any luck?" Neville asked.

"No, you?" Harriet asked.

"No."

"Alright, let's get back to find Ron."

He nodded and then left.

When they got there they saw Ron coming in.

"Morning." Ron said.

"Ron, it's us." Harriet said.

"Harriet! Neville! Blimey, I forgot what you look like." he said. "Where's Hermione?"

"She's gone down to the court room. With Umbridge." Neville said.

When they got there Harriet and Neville stood there quietly.

"Mary Elizabeth Cattermole," Umbridge started.

"Yes." Mary said.

"It's here." Harriet said.

"Mother to Maisie, Ellie and Alfred; Wife to Reginald?"

"Regi." she said.

Harriet pushed him out and he walked over to Mary.

"Thank you, Jane. Mary Elizabeth Cattermole."

"Yes?"

"A wand was taken from you upon your arrival at the Ministry Mrs Cattermole. Is this that wand?"

She nodded.

"Would you please tell the court, from witch or wizard you took this wand?"

"No one. I bought it in Diagon Alley, by Ollivanders, when I was 11. It chose me."

"You are lying. Wands choose only witches, and you're not a witch."

"But I am. Tell them, Reg, tell them that I am."

Then Harriet took out her wand and Umbridge noticed.

"What on Earth are you doing, Jane?"

"You are lying, Dolores. And one must not tell lies. _Stupefy!_"

When Hermione grabbed the locket Harriet and Neville started to change back. Neville handed Harriet her glasses.

"It's Harriet Potter!" someone said.

Then they started running.

"It is them. Its okay to tell the kids." Ron said.

When they got to the elevator the door shut. Then Harriet took out her wand when something started to come.

"_Expecto patronum!_" Harriet yelled when the door was shut and dementors came.

When it was gone and they were downstairs Harriet, Neville, Hermione, Ron and Mary started to leave.

Ron stopped and looked at Mary.

"Mary. Go on home. Take the kids I'll meet you there. We have to leave the country, do you understand? Mary, do as I say." Ron said.

Then she kissed him and he turned back into Ron Weasley.

"Mary? Who is that?" Regi said.

Ron looked at him then Mary.

"Long story... Nice meeting you." he said.

"It's Harriet, Harriet Potter!"

The four of them started to run to the flew networks and grabbed Hermione's hand since she was first. Then they were somewhere outside.

Harriet and Neville sat up and heard something.

"Harriet, Harriet quickly in my bag. Essence of Dittany." Hermione said.

Neville went and looked at Ron.

Harriet looked inside and didn't see it.

"Quickly!"

"_Accio Dittany!_"

She caught it, stood up and then tossed it to Neville who was looking at Ron.

"Hermione his arm." she said.

"I know but just do it!"

Neville handed her the dittany while Harriet grabbed the locket.

"OK, it's gonna, it's gonna sting a little." she said.

Neville stood up and looked around.

"Where are we? Aren't we supposed to be at Grimauld Place?" he said.

"I know but Yaxley had hold of me and we were getting close so before we got to close I brought us here. But, Ron got splined!" she said.

Then she stood up and took out her wand.

"_Protego Totalum. Salvia Hexi._"

"What are you doing?" Harriet asked.

"_Protective enchantments._ I do not want a repeat of what happened at Shaftesbury Avenue, do you? Get going with a tent." she said.

"Tent?" Harriet said.

"_Protego Totalum._" Hermione continued.

"Where are we supposed to find a tent?" she asked.

Then Harriet looked at Neville. Then her bag and back at each other.

So they went and grabbed it and started to make the tent.

When they were done Harriet helped Hermione get Ron in the tent and Neville carried the bags.


	8. Chapter 8

The next day they were outside with the locket.

"You first." Hermione said to Harriet.

"_Incendio!_" she said.

But it didn't work.

"_Incendio._" Hermione tried.

That didn't work ether.

"_Expulso!_" Neville said.

Still didn't work.

"_Diffindo!_" Harriet said.

"_Reducto!_" Harriet said using more strength.

She sighed then went and put it on the neck.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked.

"We have to keep it safe." she said.

"Isn't it strange mate. Dumbledore tells you to do something but doesn't tell you how." Ron said.

Then Harriet just looked at him.

A few hours later Harriet was outside on watch and picked up the locket.

While she looked at it she heard something familiar from fifth year.

_'You know the spell Harriet.'_

Then her scar burst into pain and she was gone.

_"Tell me, Gregorovitch. Tell me where it is."_

_"He stole it from me."_

_"Who was it? The thief?"_

_"The boy. It was he who took it. I never saw it again I swear on my life."_

_"I believe you. _Avada Kedavra_!"_

Then she stopped seeing it.

"I thought it stopped." Hermione said. "You can't let him in Harriet."

"Voldemort found Gregorovitch." she said.

"This Wand Maker?" Neville said confused.

"He wants something that Gregorovitch used to have. I don't know what. But he wants it _desperately_. As if his life depended on it."

Then the radio said something and she was about to go shut it off.

"Don't, it's his comfort zone." Hermione said.

"It sets my teeth on edge, What's he expecting to hear? Good news?" she asked.

"One can only hope not to hear bad news." she said.

"How long before he can travel?" she asked.

"I'm doing everything I can." she said.

"You are not doing enough!" she said.

"Take it off!" she said.

"She said, Take it off, now!" Neville said taking out his hand.

So she took it off and handed it to him.

"Better?" he asked.

"Right." she said.

"We will take in turns, okay?" he said handing it to Hermione.

Later that night Hermione was on night shift and reading her book. Then she heard something and looked up.

She saw people walking by.

When they were gone Harriet and Neville walked up to her.

"Snatchers." Hermione said.

"Good to know that your enchantments work." Neville said.

"He could smell it, my perfume." she said.

They started to talk about what to do now.

"I told you two, Ron isn't strong enough for apperating." Hermione said while they started walking.

"Well then, we'll go on foot." Harriet said.

Ron stepped outside a bit and listened.

"And next time Hermione, don't use perfume." Harriet said.


	9. Chapter 9

While they started moving Ron would get angry and see Hermione with Harriet and Neville.

While they were on a hill Harriet handed Neville a water bottle.

"Thank you."

He took a few sips and handed it to back to her.

"Thanks." she said.

As they walked around Ron would listen to the radio and slowly get healed.

One day while they were in the woods Ron was sitting next to Hermione while Harriet was outside with Neville.

"She doesn't know what we're doing does she?" Ron said.

"None of us do." Hermione said.

Later that night Hermione was cutting Harriet's hair, Ron was fully healed and Neville was on his shift.

"Oh my god." Hermione said.

Then stopped and stood up.

"What?" Harriet asked.

"I'll tell you in a minute, call Neville." she said.

So she went outside and got him.

"Nev, come here." she said.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Hermione thought of something." she said.

So he stood up and went inside.

"What?" he asked.

"The sword of Gryffindor, it's goblin made." she said.

"OK?" Harriet said.

"We're looking for a way to destroy horcruxes right? Harriet destroyed one second year, Tom Riddle's diary."

"With a basilisk fang. If you have one of them in that bag of yours I already know I don't."

"Maybe we should have. That would make it a lot easier." Neville said.

"Focus you two!" Hermione said.

"Sorry, continue." Harriet said.

"Thank you. As I was saying, don't you two see? In The Chamber of Secrets Harriet stabbed the Basilisk with the sword of Gryffindor Its blade is impregnated with basilisk venom."

"It only takes in that which makes it stronger!" Harriet said.

"Exactly, which is why,"

"It can destroy horcruxes." Harriet said.

"That's why Dumbledore left it to you in his will." Hermione said.

"You're brilliant, Hermione. Truly." Harriet said.

"Actually, I just highly logical thinking, which allows to me see past and irrelevant details ... and perceived cleary which others overlook." she said.

"Yeah, there is only one problem. Someone stole the sword." Neville said.

Then some of the light was gone and they looked at Ron.

"Yeah, I'm still here. But you three carry on. Don't let me follow the fun." Ron said.

Then Harriet sat on the other side of the bench.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong. At least for you three." he said.

"Well if you have something you want us to hear spit it out." Neville said.

"Alright I'll spit it out. Now that we're going to have to find another damn thing."

"I thought you knew what you signed up for?" Harriet said.

"Yeah, I thought I did to."

"Well then I'm sorry but I don't know what you think is wrong."

"I only thought that you would have told us something that would help. I thought Dumbledore told you something!"

"I told you what Dumbledore told me! And Incase you haven't noticed we have found a horcrux already." Harriet said.

"Yeah but we've only found one of the other five horcruxs we need to find." he said.

Hermione looked at Ron and thought of something.

"Ron, please take off the horcrux, you wouldn't be saying anything if you took it off." she said trying to get it off.

Ron moved her over.

"You know why I listen to the radio so much? I listen to out to hope I haven't lost Ginny, Fred, or George or mum."

"You don't think I know how it feels?!" Harriet yelled.

"NO YOU DON'T know how it feels! Your parents are dead! You have no family!" Ron yelled.

Then she pushed him away from them.

"Fine then go! Go then!" Harriet yelled.

Then Ron took the locket off and looked at Hermione and Neville.

"And you two? You coming or staying?"

Neville stood next to Harriet.

"I'm staying." he said seriously.

Hermione looked back and forth. "I, I'm staying."

All three of them were shocked.

"Fine, I get it. I saw the three of you." Ron said.

"That, that's nothing! Harriet is already dating Neville!"

Then Ron left the room and disapparated somewhere.

"Ron, no—please—come back, come back!"

Harriet and Neville stood quite still and silent, listening to her sobbing and calling Ron's name amongst the trees.

After a few minutes she returned, her sopping hair plastered to her face.

"He's g-g-gone! Disapparated!"

She threw herself into a chair, curled up, and started to cry.

Harriet and Neville felt dazed. They stooped, then Harriet picked up the horcrux, and placed it around her own neck. She dragged blankets off Ron's bunk and threw them over Hermione.

Then Harriet went on her shift and Neville and Hermione went to bed.


	10. Chapter 10

The next day they checked everything to make sure they don't forget anything.

When Ron left Hermione would cry every night and Harriet and Neville would try and help.

It was winter now and Harriet was laying on her bed while Hermione was outside on her shift.

Neville was reading a book he brought from home.

Then she thought of something and took her snitch in her hand and put it on her mouth.

Then out of nowhere it said something.

_I open at the close._

She gasped and Neville looked up.

"What?" he said.

"Go get Hermione." she said.

He was confused but nodded and went to get her.

"What is it?" she asked.

"There's writing on the snitch. Remember that I didn't _catch _the snitch I almost _swallowed _it!"

Hermione and Neville looked at it.

"I open at the close." Hermione said.

"Yeah what do you think that means?"

"I don't know." Neville said.

"I found something as well. See this, it's the mark again." Hermione said pointing at a triangle, circle and line.

"I've seen that on Mr. Lovegood that night." Harriet said.

"Why would someone draw on a child's book?"

"I don't know." Neville said.

Then he looked at Harriet.

"What's wrong?"

"I've been think, I want to go to Godrics Hollow." Harriet said.

"That's exactly what I expected you to say." Hermione said.

"Yeah but it means something to him to! You-know-who almost died there!"

"She's right." Neville said.

"It's dangerous guys. But as much as I don't want to say this we have to go there."

"Why?" Neville asked.

"Because there's something we need that might be there, the sword."

"Alright. Let's get some sleep and leave tomorrow." Harriet said.

They nodded in agreement.

The next day they packed everything up then took hands and apparated to Godrics Hollow.

When they got there they were at the graveyard.

"Harriet, I think it's Christmas Eve." Hermione said looking around.

Then they saw the graveyard. They looked at each other and nodded. So they headed there and looked at people from the first war and the past.

Hermione was looking at one with snow on it and then saw the Deathly Hollows sign. Then pushed more snow and saw Ignotus on it.

"Hey Harriet?" she called.

She got no answer so she turned around and saw Harriet standing there.

Hermione and Neville walked over to see what she was looking at. It was her parents.

JAMES POTTER BORN 27 MARCH 1960

DIED 31 OCTOBER 1981

LILY POTTER BORN 30 JANUARY 1960

DIED 31 OCTOBER 1981

Neville stood there next to her while Hermione bent down and made some flowers on top of the tombs.

Then Harriet sniffled. "Merry Christmas guys."

Then she leaned on Neville and wiped her tears for a second.

"Merry Christmas Harriet." Hermione said.

"Merry Christmas Harriet." Neville said.

Then Hermione felt like someone was there.

"Harriet someone's watching us and I think I know who it is." she said.

She looked up and saw them.

So they followed her and saw Harriet's old house.

They looked at it and remembered what happened. Harriet's eyes started to water a little but wiped them before Neville and Hermione could see it.

Then she saw something outside the door.

_On this spot, on this night of 31 October 1981, their daughter, Harriet, remain the only witch ever to have survived the Killing Curse. Their daughter is the first witch ever to survive the killing curse. This house, invisible to Muggles, has been left in its ruined state as a monument to the Potters and as a reminder of the violence that tore apart their family._

And all around these neatly lettered words, scribbles had been added by other witches and wizards who had come to slee the place where the Girl Who Lived had escaped. Some had merely signed their names in everlasting Ink; others had carved their initials into the wood, still others had left messages. The most recent of these, shining brightly over sixteen years' worth of magical graffiti, all said similar things.

_Good luck, Harriet, wherever you are._

_If you read this, Harriet, we're all behind you!_

_Long live Harriet Potter._

Neville wrapped his arms around Harriet and she started to cry.

When she calmed down they followed her inside.

"Here let me do that." Harriet said while she tried to light a candle.

She followed her upstairs. When they got there she saw the locket and then looked at him.

"Miss - Bagshot?" she said, and her voice shook slightly. "Who is this?"

"You are the Potter?" she whispered.

"Yes, I am."

She nodded slowly, solemnly.

Then she closed her eyes and several things happened at once: Harriet's scar prickled painfully; the horcrux twitched so that the front of her sweater actually moved; the dark, fetid room dissolved momentarily. She felt a leap of joy and spoke in a high, cold voice: Hold her!

Harriet swayed where she stood: The dark, foul-smelling room seemed to close around her again; she did not know what had just happened.

"Over here," Bagshot whispered, pointing to the corner.

Harriet raised her wand and saw the outline of a cluttered dressing table beneath the curtained window.

This time she did not lead her. Harriet edged between her and the unmade bed, her wand raised.

"What is it?" she asked as she reached the dressing table, which was heaped high with what looked and smelled like dirty laundry.

"There," Bagshot said, pointing at the shapeless mass.

And in the instant that she looked away, her eyes taking the tangled mess for a sword hilt, a ruby, she moved weirdly: Harriet saw it out of the corner of her eye; panic made her turn and horror paralyzed her as she saw the old body collapsing and the great snake pouring from the place where her neck had been.

The snake struck as she raised her wand: The force of the bite to her forearm sent the wand spinning up toward the ceiling; its light swung dizzyingly around the room and was extinguished;

Then a powerful blow from the tail to her midriff knocked the breath out of her: She fell backward onto the dressing table, into the mound of filthy clothing - She rolled sideways, narrowly avoiding the snake's tail, which thrashed down upon the table where she had been a second earlier. Fragments of the glass surface rained upon her as she hit the floor. From below she heard Hermione and Neville call, "Harriet?"

She could not get enough breath into her lungs to call back: Then a heavy smooth mass smashed her to the floor and she felt it slide over her, powerful, muscular -

"No!" she gasped, pinned to the floor.

"Yes," whispered the voice.

"_Yesss... hold you ... hold you ..._"

"_Accio_ ... _Accio Wand_ ..."

But nothing happened and she needed her hands to try to force the snake from her as it coiled itself around her torso, squeezing the air from her, pressing the horcrux hard into her chest, a circle of ice that throbbed with life, inches from her own frantic heart, and her brain was flooding with cold, white light, all thought obliterated, her own breath drowned, distant footsteps, everything going... and now she was flying, flying with triumph in her heart, without need of broomstick or thestral...

She was abruptly awake in the sour-smelling darkness; Nagini had released her. She scrambled up and saw the snake outlined against the landing light: It struck, and Hermione dived aside with a shriek; and Neville did the same thing on the other side but didn't shriek their deflected curse hit the curtained window, which shattered. Frozen air filled the room as Harriet ducked to avoid another shower of broken glass and her foot slipped on a pencil-like something - her wand –

She bent and snatched it up, but now the room was full of the snake, its tail thrashing; Neville and Hermione were nowhere to be seen and for a moment Harriet thought the worst, but then there was a loud bang and a flash of red light, and the snake flew into the air, smacking Harriet hard in the face as it went, coil after heavy coil rising up to the ceiling. Harriet raised her wand, but as she did so, her scar seared more painfully, more powerfully than it had done in years.

"He's coming! Hermione, Neville, he's coming!" As she yelled the snake fell, hissing wildly.

Everything was chaos: It smashed shelves from the wall, and splintered china flew everywhere as Harriet jumped over the bed and seized the dark shapes she knew to be Hermione- she shrieked with pain as she pulled her back across the bed while Neville followed:

The snake reared again, but Harriet knew that worse than the snake was coming, was perhaps already at the gate, her head was going to split open with the pain from her scar –

The snake lunged as she took a running leap, dragging Hermione and Neville with her; as it struck, Hermione screamed,

"_Confringo!_" and her spell flew around the room, exploding the wardrobe mirror and ricocheting back at them, bouncing from floor to ceiling.

Glass cut her cheek as, pulling Hermione and Neville with her, she leapt from bed to broken dressing table and then straight out of the smashed window into nothingness, her scream reverberating through the night as they twisted in midair...

She was Voldemort and he was running across the fetid bedroom, his long white hands clutching at the windowsill as he glimpsed the bald man and the little woman twist and vanish, and he screamed with rage, a scream that mingled with the girl's, that echoed across the dark gardens over the church bells ringing in Christmas Day...

And his scream was Harriet's scream, his pain was Harriet's pain... that it could happen here, where it had happened before... here, within sight of that house where he had come so close to knowing what it was to die ... to die ... the pain was so terrible ... ripped from her body ... But if she had no body, why did her head hurt so badly; if she was dead, how cold she feel so unbearably, didn't pain cease with death, didn't it go ...

_The night wet and windy, two children dressed as pumpkins waddling across the square and the shop windows covered in paper spiders, all the tawdry Muggle trappings of a world in which they did not believe ... And he was gliding along, that sense of purpose and power and rightness in him that he always knew on these occasions ... Not anger ... that was for weaker souls than he ... but triumph, yes ... He had waited for this, he had hoped for it..._

_"Nice costume, mister!"_

_He saw the small boy's smile falter as he ran near enough to see beneath the hood of the cloak, saw the fear cloud his pained face: Then the child turned and ran away ... Beneath the robe he fingered the handle of his wand ... One simple movement and the child would never reach his mother ... but unnecessary, quite unnecessary..._

_And along a new and darker street he moved, and now his destination was in sight at last, the Fidelius Charm broken, though they did not know it yet..._

_And he made less noise than the dead leaves slithering along the pavement as he drew level with the dark hedge, and steered over it ..._

_They had not drawn the curtains; he saw them quite clearly in their little sitting room, the tall black-haired man in his glasses, making puffs of colored smoke erupt from his wand for the amusement of the small black-haired girl in her blue pajamas. The child was laughing and trying to catch the smoke, to grab it in her small fist..._

_A door opened and the mother entered, saying words he cold not hear, her long dark-red hair falling over her face. Now the father scooped up the daughter and handed her to the mother. He threw his wand down upon the sofa and stretched, yawning..._

_The gate creaked a little as he pushed it open, but James Potter did not hear. His white hand pulled out the wand beneath his cloak and pointed it at the door, which burst open._

_He was over the threshold as James came sprinting into the hall. It was easy, too easy, he had not even picked up his wand..._

_"Lily, take Harriet and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!"_

_Hold him off, without a wand in his hand! ... He laughed before casting the curse..._

_"Avada Kedavra!"_

_The green light filled the cramped hallway, it lit the pram pushed against the wall, it made the banisters glow like lighting rods, and James Potter fell like a marionette whose strings were cut ..._

_He could hear her screaming from the upper floor, trapped, but as long as she was sensible, she, at least, had nothing to fear..._

_He climbed the steps, listening with faint amusement to her attempts to barricade herself in..._

_She had no wand upon her either ... How stupid they were, and how trusting, thinking that their safety lay in friends, that weapons could be discarded even for moments... He forced the door open, cast aside the chair and boxes hastily piled against it with one lazy wave of his wand ... and there she stood, the child in her arms. At the sight of him, she dropped her son into the crib behind her and threw her arms wide, as if this would help, as if in shielding him from sight she hoped to be chosen instead..._

_"Not Harriet, not Harriet, please not Harriet!"_

_"Stand aside, you silly girl... stand aside, now."_

_"Not Harriet, please no, take me, kill me instead -"_

_"This is my last warning -"_

_"Not Harriet! Please ... have mercy ... have mercy ... Not Harriet! Not Harriet! Please - I'll do anything ..."_

_"Stand aside. Stand aside, girl!"_

_He could have forced her away from the crib, but it seemed more prudent to finish them all..._

_The green light flashed around the room and she dropped like her husband. The child had not cried all this time. She could stand, clutching the bars of her crib, and she looked up into the intruder's face with a kind of bright interest, perhaps thinking that it was her father who hid beneath the cloak, making more pretty lights, and her mother would pop up any moment, laughing –_

_He pointed the wand very carefully into the girl's face: He wanted to see it happen, the destruction of this one, inexplicable danger._

_The child began to cry: It had seen that he was not James. He did not like it crying, he had never been able to stomach the small ones whining in the orphanage -_

_"Avada Kedavra!"_

_And then he broke. He was nothing, nothing but pain and terror, and he must hide himself, not here in the rubble of the ruined house, where the child was trapped screaming, but far away ... far away ..._


	11. Chapter 11

"No," she moaned.

The snake rustled on the filthy, cluttered floor, and he had killed the girl, and yet he was the girl ...

"No..."

And now he stood at the broken window of Bathilda's house, immersed in memories of his greatest loss, and at his feet the great snake slithered over broken china and glass... He looked down and saw something... something incredible...

"No..."

"Harriet, it's all right, you're all right!"

He stooped down and picked up the smashed photograph. There he was, the unknown thief, the thief he was seeking...

"No... I dropped it... I dropped it ..."

"Harriet, it's okay, wake up, wake up."

She was Harriet... Harriet, not Voldemort ... and the thing that was rustling was not a snake ... She opened her eyes.

"Harriet," Neville whispered.

"Do you feel all - all right?" Hermione said.

"Yes," she lied.

She was in the tent, lying on one of the lower bunks beneath a heap of blankets. She could tell that it was almost dawn by the stillness and quality of the cold, flat light beyond the canvas ceiling. She was drenched in sweat; she could feel it on the sheets and blankets.

"We got away."

"Yes," said Hermione. "I had to use a Hover Charm to get you into your bunk. We didn't want to lift you. You've been ... Well, you haven't been quite ..."

"You've been ill," she finished. "Quite ill."

"How long ago did we leave?"

"Hours ago. It's nearly morning. And I used the phoenix tear Dumbledore gave me when you got hit by Nagini." Neville said.

"Thanks. And I've been... what, unconscious while you did that?"

"Not exactly," said Hermione uncomfortably. "You've been shouting and moaning and ... things," she added in a tone that made Harriet feel uneasy.

"I couldn't get the Horcrux off you," Neville said, and he knew she wanted to change the subject. "It was stuck, stuck to your chest. You've got a mark; I'm sorry, I had to use a Severing Charm to get it away. The snake bit you too, but that's what I used the phoenix tears for ..."

"Where've you put the horcrux?"

"In my bag. I think we should keep it off for a while." Hermione said.

She lay back on her pillows and looked into her pinched gray face.

"We shouldn't have gone to Godric's Hollow. It's my fault, it's all my fault. Hermione, Neville, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. We wanted to go too; I really thought Dumbledore might have left the sword there for us." Hermione said.

"Yeah, well ... we got that wrong, didn't we?"

"What happened, Harriet? What happened when she took you upstairs? Was the snake hiding somewhere? Did it just come out and kill her and attack you?" Neville asked.

"No." she said. "She was the snake ... or the snake was her ... all along."

"W-what?" Neville said.

She closed her eyes. She could still smell Bathilda's house on her; it made the whole thing horribly vivid.

"Bathilda must've been dead a while. The snake was... was inside her. You-know-who put it there in Godric's Hollow, to wait."

"The snake was inside her?" he said.

She opened her eyes again. they looked revolted, nauseated.

"Remus said there would be magic we'd never imagined." Harriet said.

Neville thought of something that could've been how she was a human but kept it to himself.

"She didn't want to talk in front of you, because it was Parseltongue, all Parseltongue, and I didn't realize, but of course I could understand her. Once we were up in the room, the snake sent a message to you-know-who, I heard it happen inside my head, I felt him get excited, he said to keep me there ... and then ..."

She remembered the snake coming out of Bathilda's neck: neither of them didn't need to know the details.

"...she changed, changed into the snake, and attacked."

She looked down at the puncture marks.

"It wasn't supposed to kill me, just keep me there till you-know-who came."

She sat up and threw back the covers.

"Harriet, no, I'm sure you ought to rest!" Neville said.

"You're the ones who needs sleep. No offense, but you two look terrible. I'll keep watch for a while. Where's my wand?"

Neither of them answered, they merely looked at her.

"Where's my wand, Hermione?"

She was biting her lip, and tears swam in her eyes.

"Harriet..."

"Where's my wand?"

She reached down beside the bed and held it out to him.

The holly and phoenix wand was nearly severed in two.

One fragile strand of phoenix feather kept both pieces hanging together. The wood had splintered apart completely. Harriet took it into her hands as though it was a living thing that had suffered a terrible injury. She could not think properly:

Everything was a blur of panic and fear. Then she held out the want to Hermione.

"Mend it. Please."

"Harriet, I don't think, when it's broken like this -"

"Please, Hermione, try!"

"_R-Reparo._"

The dangling half of the wand resealed itself. Harriet held it up.

"_Lumos!_"

The wand sparked feebly, then went out. Harriet pointed it at Neville.

"_Expelliarmus!_"

Neville's wand gave a little jerk, but did not leave his hand. The feeble attempt at magic was too much for Harriet's wand, which split into two again. She stared at it, aghast,

"Harriet." Hermione whispered so quietly she could hardly hear her. "I'm so, so sorry. I think it was me. As we were leaving, you know, the snake was coming for us, and so I cast a Blasting Curse, and it rebounded everywhere, and it must have - must have hit -"

"It was an accident." said Harriet mechanically. "We'll - we'll find a way to repair it."

"Well," she said, in a falsely matter-of-fact voice, "well, I'll just borrow yours or Neville's for now, then. While I keep watch."

Her face glazed with tears, Hermione handed over her wand, and she left them sitting beside her bed.


	12. Chapter 12

While she sat outside she saw a patronus. A doe.

So she stood up and followed it.

When she got there she looked down and saw a lake. When the light was gone it was over part of the ice.

She brushed the snow off some of it and saw the sword.

Then she looked on her left then right but saw nothing.

"_Accio sword!_"

But it didn't work. She was a little scared now. She couldn't swim and the accio spell didn't work.

She remembered that there was a bubble head charm and how to do it.

So she looked back and forth again and then said.

"_Defindo!_"

The ice cracked enough for her to go down. So she started to undress then used the bubble charm and went down. While she was down there she felt the locket start to choke her. While she tried to stop it the spell stopped and she had even more trouble. Then while she was starting to lose oxygen she heard footsteps.

A few seconds later there was a different sound. When she was about to pass out she felt someone pull her out of the water.

When she got out she started to cough. Then she put her glasses on.

"Hermione? Neville?"

"Are you mad?!"

"Ron?"

"Well yeah, who did you think it was?" Ron said.

"It was you, you made a patronus." she said.

"No I thought that was you?" he said.

"No."

When she was all dressed up she took the locket off and put it in front of them.

"OK then, do it Ron." Harriet said.

"I can't. I can't do it." he said.

"Then why are you here? Why did you come back?"

Ron stood there quietly for a few seconds.

"I'm going to open it," said Harriet, "Don't hesitate because whatever's in there will put up a fight. The bit of Riddle in the Diary tried to kill me."

"How are you going to open it?" asked Ron. He looked terrified.

"I'm going to ask it to open, using Parseltongue," said Harriet. "Ready?"

He nodded and took out the sword.

"Alright, One . . . two . . . three . . _.open_."

Behind both of the glass windows within blinked a living eye, dark and handsome as Tom Riddle's eyes had been before he turned them scarlet and slit-pupiled.

"Stab," said Harriet, holding the locket steady on the rock.

Ron raised the sword in his shaking hands: The point dangled over the frantically swiveling eyes, and Harriet gripped the locket tightly, bracing herself.

Then a voice hissed from out the horcrux.

"I have seen your heart, and it is mine."

"Don't listen to it!" Harriet said harshly. "Stab it!"

"I have seen your dreams, Ronald Weasley, and I have seen your fears. All you desire is possible, but all that you dread is also possible..."

"Stab!" shouted Harriet, her voice echoed off the surrounding trees, the sword point trembled, and Ron gazed down into Riddle's eyes.

"Least loved, always, by the mother who craved a daughter . . . Least loved, now, by the girl who prefers your friend . . . Second best, always, eternally overshadowed . . ."

"Ron, stab it now!" Harriet bellowed:

She could feel the locket quivering in the grip and was scared of what was coming. Ron raised the sword still higher, and as he did so, Riddle's eyes gleamed scarlet.

Out of the locket's two windows, out of the eyes, there bloomed like two grotesque bubbles, the heads of Harriet and Hermione, weirdly distorted.

Ron yelled in shock and backed away as the figures blossomed out of the locket, first chests, then waists, then legs, until they stood in the locket, side by side like trees with a common root, swaying over Ron and Harriet, who had snatched her fingers away from the locket as it burned, suddenly, white-hot.

"Ron!" she shouted, but the Riddle-Harriet was now speaking with Voldemort's voice and Ron was gazing, mesmerized, into its face.

"Why return? We were better without you, happier without you, glad of your absence... We laughed at your stupidity, your cowardice, your presumption-"

"Presumption!" echoed the Riddle-Hermione, who was more beautiful and yet more terrible than the real Hermione:

She swayed, cackling, before Ron, who looked horrified, yet transfixed, the sword hanging pointlessly at his side.

"Who could look at you, who would ever look at you, beside Harriet Potter? What have you ever done, compared with the Chosen One? What are you, compared with the Girl Who Lived?"

"Ron, stab it, STAB IT!" Harriet yelled, but Ron did not move.

His eyes were wide, and the Riddle-Harriet and the Riddle-Hermione were reflected in them, their hair swirling like flames, their eyes shining red, their voices lifted in an evil duet.

"Your mother confessed," sneered Riddle-Harriet, while Riddle-Hermione jeered, "that she would have preferred me as a daughter, would be glad to exchange..."

"Who wouldn't prefer her, what woman would take you, you are nothing, nothing, nothing to her," crooned Riddle-Hermione, and she stretched like a snake and entwined herself around Riddle-Harriet, wrapping her in a close embrace: Their lips met.

On the ground in front of them, Ron's face filled with anguish. He raised the sword high, his arms shaking.

"Do it, Ron! You know I'm already with Neville!" Harriet yelled._ 'My head is going to split if he doesn't do it soon!'_

Ron looked toward her and Harriet thought she saw a trace of scarlet in his eyes.

"Ron -?"

The sword flashed, plunged: Harriet threw herself out of the way, there as a clang of metal and a long, drawn-out scream. Harriet whirled around, slipping in the snow, wand held ready to defend herself, but there was nothing to fight.

The monstrous versions of herself and Hermione were gone:

There was only Ron, standing there with the sword held slackly in his hand, looking down at the shattered remains of the locket on the flat rock.

When it was gone Ron sat next to them.

"One down. Only four to go." he said.


	13. Chapter 13

A few minutes later they were back with the tent. Harriet had told him what they had done while they were gone.

"Hermione? Neville?" Harriet called.

"Is everything alright?" Hermione asked.

Neville came out to and ran to Harriet.

"Harriet! What happened, why are you so wet? Are you alright?" he asked while he looked at her.

"I'm fine Neville, everything's fine," she said then turned around. "actually it's more than fine."

Then she showed them who it was.

"Hey." Ron said with a smile and wave.

Hermione was furious at him.

"You, complete awful Weasley! You had been gone for weeks and you say hey?"

Then she looked at Harriet.

"Where's my wand Harriet? Where's my wand?"

"I don't know."

"Harriet Potter you give me my wand!"

"I don't have it!" she said and put it in her pocket.

"How come she's got your wand?" Ron asked.

"It doesn't matter why she's got my wand!"

Then she looked down. Then looked at Harriet.

"What is that? You destroyed it! And how is you just happen to have the sword of Gryffindor?"

The two of them looked at each other.

"It's a bit of a long story." Harriet said.

"Don't you think this is change of anything."

"Of course not. I just destroyed a bloody horcrux!" Ron said.

"When I realized what I did I tried to find you but didn't know where you would have gone."

"Yeah how did you find us?" Neville asked and held Harriet close to warm and dry her off.

"It was dark out and I had no idea where I was when I felt something in my deluminater." Ron said.

"Which would be what?" Hermione asked.

"My name. Just my name." he said.

They stood there quietly for a few minutes. Then Harriet said something.

"Right, why don't we get changed into something dry and spend the night here." Harriet said shivering a little.

The other three nodded and went inside.

A few hours later Hermione was on her shift and Harriet, Ron and Neville were sitting inside.

"How long do you think she'll take to forgive me?" Ron asked.

"Hermione might not have as bad of a temper then Harriet but she can still hold a grudge sometimes." Neville said trying not to laugh.

Then he gave in and the three of them started to chuckle.

"Bloody hell, you need a wand don't you?" Ron asked looking at Harriet after they calmed down.

"Yeah." she said.

"I've got one here." He then handed it to him. "Ten inches."

Harriet putted the wand at the fire.

"_Ingoshio._"

Then the fire got enormous and the three of them jumped.

"_Reduco!_" she yelled.

"What's going on in there?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing!" Harriet said and put the wand in her pocket.

"We need to talk." Hermione said.

"Alright then." Ron said.

"I want to see Xenophilius Lovegood." Hermione said.

"Why?" Neville asked.

"You see this mark? It's on the book again." Then she shut the book. "Look, I have no idea where the next horcrux is and neither do you."

"It was on his necklace to. The one he was wearing at the wedding." Harriet said.

"Let's make a vote, all those in favor?" Ron said.

The three of them looked at him.

"Let's just do it." Neville said.

"Alright." Harriet said.

So they packed everything up and then apperated to Mr. Lovegood.

When they got there they looked at the door.

"Luna." Hermione said.

"Luna." the other three said.

When they got there they knocked on the door.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Xenophilius said.

Then Harriet walked up to the door.

"Hello, Mr. Lovegood," said Harriet, holding out his hand,

"I'm Harriet, Harriet Potter."

Xenophilius did not take Harriet's hand, although the eye that was not pointing inward at his nose slid straight to the scar on Harriet's forehead.

"Can we come in?" Harriet said.

So he opened the door and got them some tea.

They picked it up and sat down.

"Where's Luna?" Hermione asked.

"Luna? She'll be along soon." he said.

"Now," he remove a tottering pile of papers from an armchair and sat down, his Wellingtoned legs crossed, "how may I help you, Ms. Potter?"

"Well," she, glancing at Hermione, who nodded encouragingly, "it's about that symbol you were wearing around your neck at Bill and Fleur's wedding, Mr. Lovegood. We wondered what it meant."

Xenophilius raised his eyebrows.

"Are you referring to the sign of the Deathly Hallows?"

Harriet turned to look at Neville, Ron and Hermione. None of them seemed to have understood what Xenophilius had said either.

"The Deathly Hallows?" Neville asked.

"That's right," said Xenophilius.

"You haven't heard of them? I'm not surprised. Very, very few wizards believe. Witness that knuckle-headed young man at your brother's wedding," he nodded at Ron, "who attacked me for sporting the symbol of a well-known Dark wizard! Such ignorance. There is nothing Dark about the Hallows – at least not in that crude sense. One simply uses the symbol to reveal oneself to other believers, in the hope that they might help one with the Quest."

He stirred several lumps of sugar into his Gurdyroot infusion and drank some.

"I'm sorry," said Harriet, "I still don't really understand."

To be polite, she took a sip from her cup too.

"Well, you see, believers seek the Deathly Hallows," said Xenophilius, smacking his lips in apparent appreciation of the Gurdyroot infusion.

"But what are the Deathly Hallows?" asked Hermione.

Xenophilius set aside his empty teacup.

"I assume that you are familiar with 'The Tale of the Three Brothers'?"

"Yes." Hermione, Ron and Neville said.

"No." Harriet said.

Xenophilius nodded gravely.

"Well, you three know the whole thing starts with 'The Tale of the Three Brothers'... I have a copy somewhere . . ."

He glanced vaguely around the room, at the piles of parchment and books, but Hermione said,

"I've got a copy, Mr. Lovegood, I've got it right here."

And she pulled out The Tales of Beedle the Bard from the small, beaded bag.

"The original?" inquired Xenophilius sharply, and when she nodded, he said, "Well then, why don't you read it out aloud? Much the best way to make sure we all understand."

"Er. . . all right," said Hermione nervously. She opened the book, and Harriet saw that the symbol they were investigating headed the top of the page as she gave a little cough, and began to read.

"There were once three brothers who were travelling along a lonely, winding road at twilight –'"

"Midnight, our mum always told us," said Ron, who had stretched out, arms behind his head, to listen.

Hermione shot him a look of annoyance.

"Sorry, I just think it's a bit spookier if it's midnight!" said Ron.

"Yeah, because we really need a bit more fear in our lives," said Harriet before she could stop herself.

Xenophilius did not seem to be paying much attention, but was staring out of the window at the sky.

"Go on, Hermione."

"In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through and too dangerous to swim across. However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were halfway across it when they found their path blocked by a hooded figure.

"'And Death spoke to them –'"

"Sorry," interjected Harriet, "but _Death_ spoke to them?"

"It's a fairy tale, Harriet!"

"Right, sorry. Go on."

"'And Death spoke to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of the three new victims, for travellers usually drowned in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade him.

"So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death! So Death crossed to an elder tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that hung there, and gave it to the oldest brother.

"Then the second brother, who was an arrogant man, decided that he wanted to humiliate Death still further, and asked for the power to recall others from Death. So Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second brother, and told him that the stone would have the power to bring back the dead.

"And then Death asked the third and youngest brother what he would like. The youngest brother was the humblest and also the wisest of the brothers, and he did not trust Death. So he asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And Death, most unwillingly, handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility.'"

"Death's got an Invisibility Cloak?" Harriet interrupted again.

"So he can sneak up on people," said Neville. "Sometimes he gets bored of running at them, flapping his arms and shrieking . . . sorry, Hermione."

"Then Death stood aside and allowed the three brothers to continue on their way, and they did so talking with wonder of the adventure they had had and admiring Death's gifts.

"In due course the brothers separated, each for his own destination.

"The first brother travelled on for a week more, and reaching a distant village, sought out a fellow wizard with whom he had a quarrel. Naturally, with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor the oldest brother proceeded to an inn, where he boasted loudly of the powerful wand he had snatched from Death himself, and of how it made him invincible.

"That very night, another wizard crept upon the oldest brother as he lay, wine-sodden upon his bed. The thief took the wand and for good measure, slit the oldest brother's throat.

"And so Death took the first brother for his own.

"Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here he took out the stone that had the power to recall the dead, and turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and his delight, the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at once before him.

"'Yet she was sad and cold, separated from him as by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered. Finally the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, killed himself so as to truly join her.

"'And so Death took the second brother from his own.

"'But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him. It was only when he had attained a great age that the youngest brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life.'"

Hermione closed the book. It was a moment or two before Xenophilius seemed to realize that she had stopped reading; then he withdrew his gaze from the window and said:

"Well, there you are."

"Sorry?" said Hermione, sounding confused.

He picked up a quill from a packed table at his elbow, and pulled a torn piece of parchment from between more books.

"The Elder Wand," he said, and drew a straight vertical line upon the parchment.

"The Resurrection Stone," he said, and added a circle on top of the line.

"The Cloak of Invisibility," he finished, enclosing both line and circle in a triangle, to make the symbols that so intrigued Hermione.

"Together," he said, "the Deathly Hallows."

"Mr. Lovegood, does the Deathly Hallows have anything to do with the Peverill brothers?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, Ignotus, and his brothers Cadmus and Antioch were the original owner of the hallows ... and therefore inspiration for the story." Xenophilius.

"Your tea has gone cold." Harriet said.

"Don't go I'll be right back?" Xenophilius said.

"Let's get out of here. I have more of this brandy pie? I will not." Ron said.

"Thank you for ..." Hermione said.

"You forgot the water." Neville said.

"Water?"

"In the tea." Ron said.

"How silly of me." he said.

"You do not have to, we should be going any way." Hermione said.

"No, you do not!" Xenophilius.

"Sir?" Harriet said.

"You are my only hope. They were angry, you see, because of what I've been writing. so they took ... took my children."

"Who took her, sir?"

"Voldemort."

Then snatchers appeared out of nowhere.

So the four of them held hands and ended up on a different place.


	14. Chapter 14

A few seconds later they were somewhere else.

"That bloody trader! Is there no one we can trust?" Ron asked.

Then a few snatchers appeared.

"Hello beautiful. Don't just hang back Snatch them!"

While they were running Hermione aimed some spells at them and then saw Harriet.

She aimed a spell on her that caused her face to become swollen and then she was on the ground.

When she got down she heard someone she's familiar with.

_"Tell me Grindward. Tell me, where it is." Voldemort said._

_"I knew that one day you come. But surely as you know. I no longer have what you seek." Grindelwald said._

_"I believe you Grindelwald, tell me where it is Tell me who posseses it." Voldemort demanded._

_"The elder wand lies with him of course... Buried in the earth with Dumbledore."_

_"Avada Kedevera!" Voldemort said after hearing that._

Then she was gone and Hermione and Neville were sitting in front of her.

"The hallows exist. He is only after one... the last one He knows where it is. He's gonna have it by the end of the night? You know who's had the elder wand."

Then a snatcher grabbed on to Hermione.

"Do not touch her!" Ron said.

"Your boyfriend will get much worse for that if he doesn't learn to behave himself."

Then he looked at Harriet.

"And what happened to you, ugly?"

Someone else looked at him while Harriet looked at him.

"No, not you." he said to Harriet.

"What is your name?"

"Dudley. Petunia Dudley."

"Check it. And you him and ugly, lovely? What do they call you?"

"Penelope Clearwater. Half blood." Hermione said.

"There is no Petunia Dudley on here."

"You hear that ugly? This means you're lying to us. Why did not you tell us? Who you are?"

"Do you have a mistake, I already told you who I am." Harriet said.

Then he looked closer at Harriet and saw her scar.

"Change of plan. We are not taking this lot to the Ministry."

When they got to their destination they were at Malfoy Manor.

"Get Draco." Bellatrix said.

"Well?" she asked when he was there.

"I can't be sure." Malfoy said.

"Look closely, son. If we are the ones who hand Potter to the Dark Lord... everything would be forgiven, it would all be as it was understood?" Lucius said pushing him a little.

"Now we won't be forgetting who really caught him ... I hope Mr. Malfoy."

"Don't dare to talk to me like that in my own house?!"

"Lucius!" Narcissa said.

"Do not be shy, come closer! If this isn't who you think it is Draco ... and we will call Him, He'll kill us all. We need to be absolutely sure!" Bellatrix said.

"What's wrong with her face?" Malfoy asked.

"Yes, what is wrong with her face?" Bellatrix asked.

"We captured her like that. Something she captured in the forrest I reckom That happens during a stinging jinx Was it you."

"Give me your wand, let's see what your last spell was."

She looked at it and then saw the sword from Hermione's purse.

"What's that? Where did you get that from?" Bellatrix asked.

"It was in her bag when we searched her I reckon its mine now."

"Are you mad? Get out!...Get out! Cissy ... hold those boys and girl in the basement! I'd like a conversation with this one... girl to girl!"

So they pushed the other three down to the basement.

"What are we gonna do? We can't leave Hermione alone with her!" Ron said.

"Ron? Neville?"

"Luna?" Neville said.

Then they heard Hermione screaming.

"We have to do something?!" Ron said.

"There is no way out of here. We tried everything. It's enchanted." Mr. Olivander said.

Harriet bent down and pulled out the glass.

"You are Bleeding Harriet, its a curious thing to keep on yourself." Luna said.

"Help us!" she said.

Then the door opened and they saw Wormtail.

"Let her go!" Ron said.

"Get Back! You Goblin, come with me." Wormtail said.

A few minutes after he left Dobby came.

"Dobby?" Harriet said. "What are you doing here?"

"Dobby has come to rescue Harriet Potter! Dobby will alwyas be there for Harriet Potter." Dobby said smiling.

"You say that you can apparate out of this room?" Harriet asked. "Can you take us with you?"

"Of course, I'm a elf." he said.

"No clear." Ron said.

"Well, Dobby, take Luna and Mr. Ollivander, um," Harriet said.

"Take them to shell cottage its near the sea. Trust me." Ron said.

"When you're ready, sir." Luna said.

"Sir? I like her very much!" Dobby said.

Then he took Luna and Olivander in both hands.

"Meet me at top of the stairs in ten seconds."

A few seconds later the door opened again.

For a split second Wormtail gazed into the apparently empty cellar, ablaze with light from the three miniature suns floating in mid-air. Then Harriet, Neville and Ron launched themselves upon him. Ron seized Wormtail's wand arm and forced it upwards. Harriet slapped a hand to his mouth, muffling his voice.

Silently they struggled: Wormtail's wand emitted sparks; his silver hand closed around Harriet's throat.

Harriet could barely breathe.

"You're going to kill me?"

Harriet choked, attempting to prise off the metal fingers.

"After I saved your life? You owe me, Wormtail!"

The silver fingers slackened.

Harriet had not expected it: She wrenched herself free, astonished, keeping her hand over Wormtail's mouth.

She saw the rat like man's small watery eyes widen with fear and surprise: He seemed just as shocked as Harriet at what his hand had done, at the tiny, merciful impulse it had betrayed, and he continued to struggle more powerfully, as though to undo that moment of weakness.

"And we'll have that," whispered Ron, tugging Wormtail's wand from his other hand.

Wandless, helpless, Pettigrew's pupils dilated in terror. His eyes had slid from Harriet's face to something else. His own silver fingers were moving inexorably toward his own throat.

"No –" she said.

Without pausing to think, Harriet tried to drag back the hand, but there was no stopping it.

The silver tool that Voldemort had given his most cowardly servant had turned upon its disarmed and useless owner; Pettigrew was reaping his reward for his hesitation, his moment of pity; he was being strangled before their eyes.

"No!" she said.

Ron had released Wormtail too, and together he and Harriet tried to pull the crushing metal fingers from around Wormtail's throat, but it was no use.

Pettigrew was turning blue.

"_Relashio!_" said Ron, pointing the wand at the silver hand, but nothing happened; Pettigrew dropped to his knees, and at the same moment, Hermione gave a dreadful scream from overhead.

Wormtail's eyes rolled upward in his purple face; he gave a last twitch, and was still.

After that they started to go upstairs.

They stood there quietly and listened to what Bellatrix was saying to Hermione.

"I guess I'll just have to use Crucio on you for you to tell me."

Both Harriet and Neville twitched for a second after hearing that word.

"Like hell. _Expelliarmus!_" Ron said.

"_Stupefy!_"

"Stop!" Bellatrix said with Hermione around her. Her wand on Hermione's neck.

"Drop your wands."

They just stood there.

"I said, drop them!"

Then they dropped their wands.

"Pick em up, Draco, now! Well well well ... Look who we have here. Its Harriet Potter. Whole bright shiny and new again. Just in time for the Dark Lord. Call him."

Lucius pulled his sleeve and was about to call him when they heard something. They all looked up. Then a lamp started to fall and almost land on Bellatrix.

"Ahh! Stupid elf! You could have kill me?!" she said.

"Dobby never meant to kill. Dobby only meant to maim or seriously injure." Dobby said.

Then Bellatrix took out her wand but Dobby snapped his finger and caught her wand.

"How dare you take a witch's wand? How dare you defy your masters?" she shouted.

"Dobby has no master! Dobby is a free elf ... and Dobby has come to save Harriet Potter and her friends!" he said.

Then Harriet grabbed the three wands.

"_Stupefy!_"

Then they grabbed Dobby and started to apparate. While he did that Bellatrix threw her dagger at him.

When they were gone the dagger was gone to.


	15. Chapter 15

A few seconds later they were outside Bill and Fleur's house. Harriet stood up and headed to Hermione, Ron and Neville.

"Hermione! Are you alright?" she asked.

She nodded.

"We're safe. We're all safe." she said wrapping her arms around her.

Then she did the same thing with Neville.

"Harriet Potter ..." Dobby said.

"Dobby!" Harriet said while she walked over to him.

"That would be fine ..." Dobby said.

"Hold on. Hold on. Hold on, yes? We are going to fix it. Hermione, the dittany ... in your purse Hermione! Hermione! Help me!" she said and looked at her.

"It's so beautiful than alone... with you here as friends. Dobby is Happy ... that may be with his friends ... Harriet Potter."

Then he laid there in silence and still.

"We should close his eyes." Luna said.

She closed his eyes.

"There. Now he could be sleeping." she said.

Harriet looked up.

"I want to bury him... Properly, without magic."

So she grabbed a shovel and started.

When she was done Hermione passed her Dobby and she put him down. Then she filled the whole and Harriet and Neville stood there quietly.

Harriet took out her wand and wrote, 'Here lies Dobby a free elf'

They sighed quietly.

"Thanks for the help Dobby. We'll never forget you." Neville said.

"Yeah, thanks Dobby." Harriet said.

So they all headed to the cottage.

Later that day Harriet, Ron, Neville and Hermione were talking to each other.

"Think he'll help us?" Hermione asked.

"I hope so. Mr. Olivander won't be that hard. Griphook will be hard though." Harriet said.

They all nodded and then Harriet headed to Bill.

"We need to talk to the goblin." she said.

So Bill took them to the goblin and then left.

"How are you?" Harriet said.

"Alive." Griphook said.

"You probably don't remember-" Harriet started but was cut off.

"That I showed you to your vault when you were eleven? Even goblins know about you Harriet Potter." he said.

Then he looked at the sword.

"How did you come by the sword?" Giphook asked.

"It's complicated. Why did Bellatrix Lestrange think that it should be in her vault at Gringotts?" Harriet said.

"It's complicated." Griphook said.

"The sword presented itself to us, in moment of need." Hermione said.

"We didn't steal it." Ron said.

"There is a sword in Madam Lestrange's vault identical to this one. But it is a fake. It was placed there this past summer.

And she never suspected it was a fake. The replica is very convincing. Only a goblin would recognize that this is the true Sword of Gryffindor." Griphook said.

"Who is the acquaintance?" Hermione asked.

"A Hogwarts Professor. As I understand that he's now Headmaster."

"Snape." Ron said.

"He put a fake sword in Bellatrix's vault."

"Why?" Ron asked.

"There are more than a few curious things in the vaults at Gringotts."

"And in Madam Lestrange's vault as well?" Neville asked through clenched teeth.

Harriet held his hand and squeezed it to calm him down.

Then he started to calm down.

"Perhaps."

"We need to break into a Gringotts vault." Harriet said.

"It is impossible." Griphook said.

"Alone yes, with you, no." she said.

"And what will I get in return if I were to help you?"

"I have gold. _Lots_ of it." Harriet said.

"I'm not interested in gold." he said.

"Then what?" she asked wincing.

Her scar had been hurting for a while and she fought her hand from rubbing it. Neville noticed and held her hand tighter to keep it away from her.

"That." Griphook pointed to the sward. "That is my prize."

When they left they shut the door and looked at each other while Fleur was in Mr. Olivander's room.

"You think there's a horcrux in the Lestrange vault?" Ron asked.

"Yes, we all know that she's one of Tom's favorite and best followers. So who else would he trust enough to put one in?"

"And she was scared that we had been in there. She kept asking you what you'd taken." Neville said.

"Another piece of his soul. Let's find it, kill it, and we are one step closer to killing him." Harriet said.

"And what happens when we find it, How're we supposed to destroy it, now you're giving the sword to Griphook?" Hermione asked.

"I'm still working on that part." Harriet said.

"He's weak." Fleur said.

The four of them nodded and walked in.

"Mr. Ollivander I need to ask you a few questions." Harriet said.

"Anything, m'girl. Anything!" he said.

Harriet took out the wand and handed it to him.

"Would you mind identifying this wand? We need to know if it's safe to use."

"Uhh... Walnut Dragon Heartstring Unyie... Unyielding. This belonged to Bellatrix Lestrange. Treat it carefully." he said handing it back.

"And this?" she said handing him the next one.

"Hawthorn. And unicorn hair. Reasonably pliant. This was the wand of Draco Malfoy."

"Was? Is it not still?" she said confused.

"Well, perhaps not. If one of you won it from him. I sense its allegiance has changed." Mr. Olivander said.

"You talk about wands, as if they have feelings... can think!"

"The wand chooses the wizard, Ms. Potter. That much has always been clear to those of us who've studied wandlore." he said.

"And, what do you know about the Deathly Hallows?" Hermione asked.

"It is rumored there are three. The Elder Wand, the Cloak of Invisibility, to hide you from your enemies... and the Resurrection Stone, to bring back loved ones from the dead. Together, they make one the Master of Death. But, few truly believe that such objects exist."

"Do you? Do you believe they exist, sir?" Hermione said.

"Well... I see no reasons to put stock into an old wives' tale."

"You're lying! You know one exists. You told him about it.

You told him about the Elder Wand... and where he could go looking for it." Harriet said.

"How?"

"I just know." she said rubbing his scar without knowing using her free hand.

"He tortured me... I only conveyed rumors. There's... There's no telling whether he will find it."

"He has found it, sir. We'll let you rest." Harriet said.

They stood up and started to leave the room.

"He's after you, Ms. Potter. If it's true what you say, that he has the Elder Wand, I'm afraid, you really don't stand a chance."

"Well, I am supposed to kill him, before he finds me, then."


	16. Chapter 16

The next day they were in the room Hermione and Harriet had slept in.

"You sure that's her?" Ron asked.

Hermione lifted the hair.

"Positive."

Then she drank it and got changed.

After that they stood outside. Ron was Rodolphus Lestrange and Neville was in an invisibility spell that Bill had taught them.

Harriet was going to use the invisibility cloak to carry Griphook.

"Well, how do I look?" Hermione asked.

"Hideous." Ron said.

"You can put the sword in Hermione's bag." Harriet said.

So Griphook put the sword in her bag and then they stood up straight.

"We're relying on you Griphook. If you help us get through the guards the sword is yours."

So they all grabbed Hermione's hand and were gone.

When they got there someone saw them.

"Madam Lestrange." he said.

"Good morning." Hermione said.

Then the man left.

"Good morning? Good morning? You're Bellatrix Lestrange not a school girl!" Griphook said.

"Hey!" Ron said.

"No he's right, I was being stupid." she said.

"Alright, let's go." Harriet said and put Griphook on her back.

Then Neville put the cloak on her.

When they got to Gringotts Hermione did the best she could to look and act like Bellatrix.

When they got to the goblin she cleared her throat. She got no answer so she did it again.

"I wish to enter my vault." Hermione said.

"Identification?" the goblin said.

"I hardly think that would be necessary."

The goblin looked up in shock.

"Madam Lestrange!"

He looked at other people.

"I don't like to be kept waiting!" she said.

"It's an impostor!" someone whispered.

"I know." someone else whispered.

"What do we do Harriet?" Ron asked quietly.

"Madam Lestrange, would you mind presenting your wand?" the goblin said.

"And why should I do that?" she asked.

"It's the bank's policy! I'm sure you understand, given current climate." he said.

"No! I most certainly do not understand!"

"I'm afraid, I must insist."

"Use the imperious curse!" Griphook said.

"WHAT?" Harriet asked.

"Do it!"

She sighed and then quietly walked to the goblin.

"_Imperio!_" he whispered said.

"Very well Madam Lestrange. If you will follow me."

So he lead them to their vault. While they did that they saw things they weren't expecting.

While they headed to the vault they saw something.

"What is that, Griphook? Griphook!" Harriet shouted.

Then they stopped and were back to their real selves and visible again. Harriet had put the cloak in her purse again.

"_Aresto Momentum!_" Hermione yelled while they fell.

Then they were on the ground.

"Well done, Hermione." Ron said when they stood up.

"Oh no, you two're like you again. The Thief's Downfall, washes away all enchantment. Can be deadly." Griphook said.

"You don't say. Just out of interest, is there any other way outta here?" Ron said.

"No." Griphook said.

A few seconds later the goblin was back.

"What the devil are all you doing here?! Thieves!"

"_Imperio!_" Harriet said again.

Then they heard something.

"That doesn't sound good." she said.

Then they saw a dragon.

"Bloody hell! It's an Ukrainian Iron belly!" Ron said.

"Here." Griphook said handing them something.

Then he started shaking it back and forth.

"It's been trained to when it hears this noise." he said.

"That's barbaric!" Hermione said.

Then they stopped shaking it.

After they opened the door Harriet took out her wand.

"_Lumos._"

Then some light appeared and they looked around.

"Blimey!" Ron said.

Hermione took her wand.

"_Accio horcrux!_"

Then nothing happened.

"You honestly think that was going to work? Hermione if it didn't work with the fake horcrux it won't work with the real horcrux!" Ron said.

"No kind of magic will work here." Griphook said.

"Is it here Harriet? Can you feel anything?" Neville asked.

She looked around and then looked up and started to hear it.

"That's it! Up there!" she said.

They all looked up and saw a cup. Then Ron bumped into something and it started to make copies of itself.

"A duplication spell! Anything you touch will multiply!" Griphook said.

"Give me the sword!" she said.

Hermione took it out of her bag. Then tossed it to her.

While she started to climb Ron kept moving.

"Stop moving!" Hermione said.

So she stood still and watched

Harriet climb. A few seconds later she was able to grab it.

"Got it!" Harriet said.

Then they started to leave and had trouble getting up. Griphook just stood there.

"We had a deal Griphook!" Harriet said.

"The cup for the sword!" he said.

So Harriet handed him the sword. When he grabbed it he smirked.

"I said I'd let you in. I didn't say anything about getting you out!"

"Griphook! Griphook!" Harriet yelled while Griphook took the other goblin's hand and unlocked the door.

After that he got away from the dragon.

"We've still got Bogrod." Ron said.

Then the dragon set him on fire and he was gone.

"That's unfortunate." Ron said.

"We can't just stand here," Hermione said.

"You got any idea?" Neville asked.

"Should be a brilliant one." Ron said.

"I've got something, but it's mad!" she said.

Then she put her wand down and got the dragon.

"_Reducto!_"

After that she climbed on the dragon.

"Well, come on, then!"

The other three did as told.

"_Relashio!_ Keep moving!"

So they did as told.

"Now what?" Harriet asked.

"_Reducto!_ Hold on."

While they did that they broke the bottom of Gringotts and got out.

"That was brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" Ron said.

A while later they were at a lake and started to go down.

"We're dropping!" Neville said.

"I say we jump!" Ron said.

"What?!" Harriet shouted scared now.

Neville looked at her knowing she can't swim.

"When?" Hermione said.

"Now!" Ron said.

So they all started to fall in the water. While they were under water Harriet's scar started to hurt. She say Rowena Ravenclaw and Voldemort shot the killing curse at everyone.

A few seconds later it was gone and she tried the best she could to get up but couldn't.

Neville, Ron and Hermione were already up.

"Where's Harriet?" Hermione asked.

"You idiots! She doesn't know how to swim!" Neville yelled and went down to find her.

When he got there he grabbed her and got up.

Then he headed to the surface with Harriet in his arms.

When he got there he looked at her and felt for a pulse. She had a weak one. So he gave her mouth to mouth and then she started coughing up water.

While she did that Neville kept hitting her back to help her breath.

When she was done he gave her a hug and then a kiss.

"You alright?"

She nodded.

"You scared me half to death!" he said and gave her another hug.

Then she looked at Ron and Hermione.

"He knows, Tom! He knows we we broke into Gringotts and he knows we're hunting horcruxes." she said.

"How is it you know? Hermione asked.

"I saw it!"

"You let him in! Harriet you can't do that!" Hermione said.

"Hermione I can't always help it! Well, maybe I can I do know."

"Never mind what happened?" Ron asked.

"He knows, if we find and destroy all the horcruxes, we'll be able to kill him. I reckon he'll stop at nothing to make sure we don't find the rest. And there's more. One of them's at Hogwarts."

Hermione fixed up her hand and then she started to change into dry clothes then handed Neville some clothes.

"What? You saw it?" Neville said.

"I saw Hogwarts, and Rowena Ravenclaw. It must have something to do with her. We have to go there and we have to go there now!"

"What? We can't do that, we have to figure it out we have to make a plan!" Hermione said.

"Hermione! When have any of our plans ever actually worked? We plan, we get there and it doesn't work!"

"She's right! One problem... Snape's Headmaster now, we can't just move freely from the front door!" Ron said.

"Well, we'll go to Hogsmeade, to Honeydukes. Take the secret passage in the cellar. It's... There's something wrong with him. It's like, you know, in the past... I've always been able to follow his thoughts. And now everything just feels disconnected." Harriet said fixing her glasses.

"Maybe it's the Horcruxes. Maybe he's getting weaker. Maybe he's dying!" Neville said.

"No! No, it's.. it's more like he's wounded. If anything, he feels more dangerous." Harriet said.

After that they apparated to Hogsmead.


	17. Chapter 17

When they got there they heard something go off.

"Potter!" someone yelled.

"Right here!"

"Search everywhere!"

While they did that Harriet, Ron, Neville and Hermione heard someone else say something.

"In here, Potter. Come on, move!"

"Did you look at him. For a second I thought that was..." Ron said.

"I know. Dumbledore!" Neville said.

Hermione looked at the mirror.

"Harriet? I can see you in this." she said.

She took out the glass and put it on the mirror.

"Bloody fools, what are you thinking coming here? Have you any idea how dangerous it is?" someone said.

"You're Aberforth, Dumbledore's brother. It's you who I've been seeing in here. You're the one who sent Dobby." Hermione said.

"Why've you left him?" Aberforth asked.

"He's dead." Harriet said.

"Sorry to hear it. I liked that elf." he said.

"Who gave that to you? The mirror?" she asked.

"Mundungus Fletcher, about a few months ago."

"Dung had no right selling that to you. It belongs to..." she started.

"Sirius... Albus told me. He also told me you'd likely be hacked off, if you ever found that I had it. But, ask yourself; Where would you be if I didn't?" he said.

Then Aberforth gave them some butterbeer.

"Do you have any others much? From the Order?" Hermione asked.

"The Order has finished. You-Know-Who has won, anyone who says otherwise is killing themselves." he said.

Harriet turned around and looked at him.

"We have to go to the Hogwarts, tonight. Dumbledore gave us a job to do." Harriet said.

"Did he now? Nice job? Easy?"

"We've been hunting horcruxes. We think the last one is at Hogwarts. But we'll need your help to do it." she said.

"What my brother gave you is a suicide mission. Do us all a favor and go home you two! Live a little longer."

"Dumbledore trusted us to see this through." Harriet said.

"What makes you think you can trust him? What makes you think you can believe anything my brother told you? And in all the time you knew him... Did he ever mention my name? Did he ever mentioned hers?"

"Why should he..." Harriet said.

"Keep secrets. You tell me?"

"I trusted him."

"That's the girl's answer. A girl goes chasing horcruxes is on the word of a man who wouldn't even tell him where to start. You're lying! Not just on me, it doesn't matter. To yourselves as well. That's what a fool does. You don't strike me as a fool, Harriet Potter! So, I ask you two again, there must be a reason."

"We're not interested in what happened between you and your brother. We don't care that you've given up. We trusted the man we knew. We need to get into the castle tonight." Harriet said.

He looked at the two of them and then Ariana.

"You know what to do."

"That's your sister, Ariana. Isn't it? She died very young, didn't she?" Hermione said.

"My brother sacrificed many things, Ms. Potter. On his journey to find power. Including Ariana. And she was devoted to him. He gave her everything. But time." he said.

"Thank you, Mr. Dumbledore. He did save our lives twice! Kept an eye on us on that mirror. That doesn't seem like someone who's given up!" Hermione said.

"She's coming back." she said.

They looked closer.

"What's that with her?" Neville said.

"Dean! How you look..." Harry started.

"Like hell, I reckon. But this is nothing. Seamus is worse. Hey, Ab! We've got a couple more coming through." Dean said.

"Don't remember this on the Marauder's Map." Ron said while they followed him.

"That's because it never existed till now. The seven secret passages were sealed off, before the start of the year. This is the only way in or out, now. The grounds are crawled with Death Eaters and Dementors." he said.

"How about Professor. Snape as Headmaster?" Hermione asked.

"Hardly ever seen. It's the Carrows who's watching out for."

"Carrows?" Harriet asked.

"Yeah. Brother and sister. Incharge of discipline. They like punishment, the Carrows."

"They did that to you? Why?" Neville asked.

"Today's Dark Arts lesson was practicing the Cruciatus curse. On first years. I refused. Hogwarts has changed."

A few seconds later they were where they got to school.

"Let's have a little bit of fun shall we?"

Then he opened the door.

"Hey! Listen up you lot. Got you a surprise."

"Not more of Aberforth's cooking I hope. I can't even keep it digested!" Seamus said.

Then Dean stepped away and then Harriet, Neville, Ron and Hermione were seen.

"Blimey!" Seamus said and started clapping.

Everyone else started to.

"OK OK!" Dean said smiling.

Then everyone started to calm down and then looked at Harriet.

"So, what's the fun Harriet?" Dean asked.

"OK. There's something here that can defeat you-know-who and it's somewhere in Hogwarts." she said.

"What is it?" Dean asked.

"We don't know." she said.

"Where is it?" he asked.

"We don't know that either. I guess there's nothing else to go on." she continued.

"We think it has something to do with Ravenclaw. It would be something small, easily concealed. Anyone have any idea?" she said rubbing his scar.

"Well, there's the lost diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw. Hasn't anyone heard of it? It's quite famous." Luna said.

"Yes but Luna, it's lost. For centuries now. There hasn't been a person to find it." Cho said.

"Excuse me can someone tell me what a bloody diadem is?" Ron said.

"It's a sort of crown. Like a tiara." Cho explained.

Then the door opened and it was Ginny.

"What is it, Ginny?" Dean asked.

"Snape knows, he knows Harriet was at Hogsmead." she said.

They all looked at her and came up with an idea.


	18. Chapter 18

A few minutes later everyone was at the great hall.

"Many of you must be wondering why I summon you here at this time of night. It has come to my attention that earlier today Harriet Potter has appeared." Snape said.

Everyone started whispering.

"Now... should anyone... student or staff attempt to aid Ms. Potter? They will be punished in a manner consistent with the severity of their transcription, further more... Any person found have knowledge of these events... who fails to come forward... will be treated as equally guilty. Another... If anyone in here has any knowledge of Ms. Potter's movements this evening. I invite them to step forward. Now!" he said.

Then someone appeared.

"It seems, despite your exhaustive defensive strategies, you still have a security problem, Headmaster." Harriet said.

People from the Order appeared with Neville, Ron and Hermione.

"I'm afraid it's quite extensive. How dare you stand where he stood? Tell them how it happened that night? Tell them how you looked him in the eye... A man who trusted you, and killed him." Harriet said. "Tell them!"

Snape pulled out his wand and Harriet and McGonagall did the same thing. Then she started aiming at him. And he just used a shield charm.

Then he flew away.

"COWARD!" McGonagall yelled.

Harriet pulled off her cloak. While McGonagall let off the candles.

A few seconds later Harriet's scar started burning.

"Potter?" McGonagall said.

"I know that many of you will want to fight. Some of you might even think to fight is wise. But this is folly. Give me Harriet Potter. Do this and none shall be harmed. Give me Harriet Potter, and I shall leave Hogwarts untouched. Give me Harriet Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have one hour." Voldemort said.

Everyone stood there quietly.

"What are you waiting for? Someone grab her!" someone said pointing at her.

Neville grabbed her hand and while her friends came and stood in front of her or next to her.

"Students out of bed! Students in the corridor!" Mr. Filch yelled.

"They are supposed to be out of bed you bombaling idiot!" McGonagall said.

"Oh, sorry ma'am." he said.

"As it happens, Mr. Filch, Your arrival is most opportune. If you would, I wouldd like you please, to lead Miss Parkinson and the rest of Slytherin house, from the hall." she said.

"Exactly where is it I'll be leading 'em to, ma'am?" he asked.

"The dungeons would do."

After that she looked at Harriet.

"I assume that you are here for something important. What is it you need Potter?" McGonagall asked.

"Time Professor. As much as you can give us." she said.

She nodded and Harriet started to leave.

"Potter."

She turned around and looked at her.

"It's good to see you."

"Good to see you to Professor." she said.

When they left the room Hermione called her name.

"Harriet!"

They turned around and looked at them.

"Hermione and I were thinking, it doesn't matter if we find the horcrux." Ron said.

"What do you mean?" Harriet said.

"Unless we can destroy it. So, we were thinking, well Ron was thinking which is completely brilliant. You destroyed Tom Riddle's diary with a basilisk fang, right?" Hermione said.

He nodded.

"Well, me and Hermione did remind where we might find one." Ron said.

"OK, OK well take this." Harriet said handing them the Marauders map. "That way, you can find me when you get back."

"Where are you two going?" Hermione asked.

"The Ravenclaw common room! Gotta start somewhere!" she said with a shrug.

"Harriet!" Luna said following them.

"Harriet I need to talk to you!"

"I'm a bit preoccupied at the moment Luna. We'll talk to you later." she said."

"But-"

"Later!"

"Harriet Potter! You listen to me right now!" Luna said.

She looked at her in shock a little.

"Do you remember what Cho said about Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem? There is not a person alive who's seen it. It's obvious, isn't it? We have to talk to someone who's dead." she said.

Then she followed Luna to find her. They stopped for a few minutes.

"It's very impressive, isn't it? If you want to find her, you'll find her down there." she said when they got there.

"Aren't you coming?" Harriet said.

"No. I think it's best if you two talk alone. She's very shy."

Harriet nodded and walked over to her. When she found her she stood there quietly for a second.

"You're the Grey Lady. The ghost of Ravenclaw tower." Harriet said.

"I do not answer to that name!" she said and started to leave.

"No, I'm sorry, we're sorry! It's Helena, isn't it? Helena Ravenclaw, Rowena's daughter."

"Are a friend of Luna's?" Helena asked.

"Yes. And she thought you might be able to help us." Harriet said.

"You seek my mother's diadem?" she said.

"Yes. That's right."

"Luna is kind. Unlike so many of the others. But she was wrong, I cannot help you!" she said.

"Wait, please! We want to destroy it!" Harriet said.

She froze and turned around.

"I thought you want to do it. Isn't it, Helena? You want it destroyed?"

"Another promised to destroy it many years ago. A strange boy with a strange name?"

"Tom Riddle."

"But he lied."

"He lied to many people."

"I know what he's done! I know who he is! He defiled it, with dark magic!" she yelled.

"I can destroy it. Once and for all. But only if you tell us where he hid it? You do know where he hid it? Don't you, Helena? You just have to tell us. Please!" she said.

"Strange! You remind me of him a bit." she started going around Harriet.

"It's here, in the castle. In the place where everything is hidden. If you have to ask... you will never know. If you know... you need only ask." she said getting away from her.

"Thank you!" she said together.

Then she headed to where they needed to be.


	19. Chapter 19

While Harriet was on her way to the Room of Requirements she felt pain she's felt before.

While she was feeling that he was falling in the ground.

A few seconds later she didn't feel the pain anymore and took a few deep breaths.

"Feels like Ron and Hermione got the cup all set."

Then she continued to get where she had to go.

While they did that they bumped into Ginny and Neville.

"Ginny, Neville! You alright?" Harriet asked.

"Never better! I feel like I can spit fire!" Neville said.

Ginny nodded then he left.

Harriet looked at Neville. Then gave him a kiss and they started running again.

When they got there they stood there for a second.

Then they got there they saw Ron and Hermione and looked around. When Harriet got close to a box she felt something she was familiar with.

So she turned around and opened it. There was the diadem. She was about to pick it up when she heard something.

"Well well well, what brings you here Potter?" Malfoy said.

"I'd like to ask you the same question." she said.

"You have something of mine. I'd like it back." he said looking at Harriet.

"Well what's wrong with the wand you have there?" she asked.

"It's my mother's. It's powerful but, not the same. It doesn't understand me, you know?"

"Why didn't you tell her? Bellatrix? You knew it was us. You didn't say anything."

He stood there quietly.

"Come on, Draco! Don't be a prat. Do it!" Goyle said.

"Easy!" Ron said.

"_Expelliarmus!_" Hermione said.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" Goyle shouted.

"_Stupefy!_" Ron said.

"This is my girlfriend, you bloody gits!" he yelled running after him.

Then they heard something.

"Ahh! Goyle set the bloody place on fire!" Ron said grabbing hermione's hand and running.

Harriet and Neville did the same thing.

"Come on! This way!" Harriet said tossing the other three a broom.

While they flew Harriet saw Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle climb up the things.

"We can't leave them!" she said looking at the other three.

"She's joking, right?" Ron said.

Harriet started to go to the two of them.

"If we die for them, Harriet, I'm gonna kill you!" Ron said while they headed to them.

Harriet grabbed Malfoy's hand while Ron grabbed Goyle. Crabbe had fallen into the fire.

When they got out of the room Harriet headed to the diadem.

"Harriet!" Hermione said tossing her a fang.

She caught it and put it in the diadem.

When she did that she felt the pain and crawled backwards. While she did that Voldemort's fire face went off and the door shut.

Harriet took a few deep breaths and heard something.

"Come Nagini. I need to keep you safe."

Neville, Ron and Hermione looked at her.

"It's the snake. She's the last one." she said.

Ron, Neville and Hermione looked at each other then Harriet.

"Look inside him. If you find him you can find the snake. We can end this." Ron said.

So she shut his eyes tightly.

_"My Lord... Might it be less... I should not be more prudent to call off this attack. Simply seek the boy. Yourself." Lucius said._

_"I do not need to seek the girl before the night is out, he will come to me! Do you understand?" Voldemort snapped._

_Then he slapped Lucius._

_"Look at me! How can you live with yourself, Lucius?"_

_"I don't know." he said._

_"Go and find Severus. Bring him to me."_

Then she was back. As tightly as he could.

"I know where he is." she said.


	20. Chapter 20

When they got to where Voldemort was they stood there quietly.

"You have performed extra ordinary magic with this wand, My Lord, in the last few hours alone." Snape said.

"No! No! I am extra-ordinary. But the wand resists me. There is no wand more powerful. Ollivander himself has said it.

Tonight, when the girl comes. It will not fail you, I am sure."

"It answers to you, and you only."

"Does it?"

"My Lord?" Snape said confused.

"The wand, does it truly answer to me? You're a clever man, Severus. Surely you must know... Where does its true loyalty lie? With you..."

"Of course, My Lord."

"The Elder Wand cannot serve me properly, because I am not its true master. The Elder Wand belongs to the wizard who killed its last owner. You killed Dumbledore, Severus. While you live, the Elder Wand cannot truly be mine. You've been a good and faithful servant, Severus. But only I can live forever."

"My Lord..."

"Nagini, kill!"

Then she jumped on to Snape and bit him deeply a few times. Then they were gone.

After that Harriet, Neville, Ron and Hermione headed to Snape. Harriet knelt down next to him. Then she put her hands on his face.

"Take them. Take them." Snape said while he cried.

"Quickly, give me a floss anything. I don't have one with me." Harriet said.

So Hermione handed her a pensive.

She put it under his eye and got enough tears.

"Look at me." Snape said.

Harriet looked at him.

"You have your mother's eyes."

Then he was gone.

Harriet stood up and while she did that she felt her scar and put her hand on the window.

"You've fought valiantly, but in vain... I do not wish this. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a terrible waste. I therefore command my forces to retreat...

In their absence, dispose your dead with dignity, Harriet Potter, I now speak directly to you.

On this night, you have allowed your friends to die for you, rather than face me yourself.

There is no greater dishonor.

Join me in the Forbidden Forrest... and confront your fate.

If you do not do this, I shall kill every last man, woman and child who tries to conceal you from me."

After he was gone the four of them went back to Hogwarts.

When they got there they walked around.

"Where is everybody?" Hermione said.

When they got to the great hall they saw people sitting there. Ron saw his family crying and found out Fred was gone.

Hermione walked over to Ron and Harriet and Neville kept going. Then they saw Remus and Tonks. Her eyes started watering.

Neville put her in his arms and rubbed her back.

"You can stay here or come with me." she said after she calmed down.

Neville looked at her.

"We started this together, we're ending this together."

So they continued to the office.

When they got to the room Harriet grabbed the pensive.

Then poured the memory and they went in.

They saw Harriet's mom using magic in front of their aunt.

"Freak!" (Harriet twitched a little) "Come here! I'm gonna tell mymmy! You're freak! You're freak, Lily! Come here!" Petunia said.

Then Snape appeared and she ran away.

"She's jealous. She's ordinary and you're special." he said.

"That's not true, Severus."

"Gryffindor!" The sorting hat said.

"Hi, I'm James." he said shaking her hand.

"Hi, I'm Lily."

"Masters shall be reunited once more!" Trigawny said.

"Severus." Dumbledore said.

"Don't kill me!" Snape said.

"The prophecy did not refer to a woman. It spoke about a child born at the end of the July."

"Yes, but she's her daughter! He intends to hunt them down and kill them. Hide her... hide them all. I beg you!"

"What would you give me in exchange, Severus?" Dumbledore asked.

"Anything."

"She doesn't need protection, the Dark Lord has gone." Snape said.

"The Dark Lord will return. And when he does, the girl will be in terrible danger! She has her eyes. If you truly loved her..."

"No one, can know." Snape said pointing his finger at Dumbledore.

"I shall never reveal the best of you, Severus."

"Your word?" Dumbledore said.

"Can you risk your life every day

to protect her? She possesses no measurable talent, her arrogance rivals that of her father's and she seems to relish in her fame..." Snape said.

"Drink it, it will contain the curse to your hand, for the time being. It will spread, Albus." Snape said with his hand on Dumbledore.

"How long?"

"Maybe a year." he said then started to leave.

"Don't ignore me, Severus. We both know Lord Voldemort has ordered the Malfoy boy to murder me. But should he fail, I should presume the Dark Lord will turn to you. You must be the one to kill me, Severus. It is the only way. Only then, will the Dark Lord trust you completely." Dumbledore said.

Then he stood up and walked over to Snape.

"There will come a time, when Harriet Potter, must be told something. But you must wait, until Voldemort is at his most vulnerable."

"Must be told what?" Snape asked suspicious.

"On the night Lord Voldemort went to Godric's Hollow to kill Harriet... Then, Lily Potter cast herself between her the curse rebounded. When that happens, a part of Voldemort's soul... latched itself onto the only living thing it could find... Harriet herself. There's a reason Harriet can speak with snakes... There's a reason she can look into Lord Voldemort's mind... A part of Voldemort lives inside her."

"So, when the time comes... the girl must die?" Snape asked.

"Yes... yes. She must die."

"You've kept her alive, so she can die at the proper moment? You've been raising her like a pig for slaughter."

"Don't tell me now, that you've grown to care for the girl." Dumbledore said.

'_Does he?_' Harriet wondered.

"_Expecto Patronum._"

Then a doe came and started hopping around.

"Lily! After all this time!"

"Always. So, when the time comes... the girl must die?"

"Yes. She must die. And Voldemort himself must do it. That is essential."

After that they were gone. When they got back they stood there quietly.

Neville took her hand and rubbed it a little.

After a few minutes they went back downstairs.


	21. Chapter 21

When they got there they saw Ron and Hermione sitting there.

Then Ron and Hermione stood up.

"Where have you been?" Hermione asked.

"I thought you were going to the forest." Ron said.

"I'm going there now." she said.

"Are you mad? No, you can't give yourself into him." Ron said.

Then Harriet and Neville stood there.

"What is it Harriet?" Hermione asked.

"There is a reason I can hear them. The horcruxes. I think I've known for a while. And I think you have, too." she said.

"I'll go with you." Hermione said crying.

"No, kill the snake. Kill the snake, and it's just him!" she said.

She looked at Neville and gave him a hug and kiss.

"Don't go with me. I don't want anyone to lose you." she said while she felt tears going on her jacket.

Then he nodded and let go.

She wanted to be stopped, to be dragged back, to be sent back home. . . .

But she was home. Hogwarts was the first and best home she had known. She and Voldemort and Snape, the abandoned boys and girl, had all found home here. . . .

After that she headed to the forest.

When she got there she took out her snitch.

"I'm ready to die." she said.

Then she put it on her mouth and something came out.

"The Resurrection Stone." she whispered.

Then she shut her eyes with it in her hand.

Then she opened them and saw her parents, Remus and Sirius.

She walked over to her mum with her hand out and her's went through hers.

"You've been so brave, sweetheart." Lilly said.

"Why are you here? All of you." she asked.

"We never left." Lilly said.

Then she looked at Sirius.

"Does... Does it hurt?" she asked.

"Dying? Quicker than falling asleep." he said.

"You're nearly there, Harriet. We're so proud of you." James said.

"I'm sorry. I never wanted any of you to die for me. And, Remus, your son?" she said then looked at Remus.

"Others will tell him what his mother and father died for. One day, he'll understand. We chose you as godmother for the reason you'll take good care of him." he said.

Harriet nodded and then looked at Lilly.

"You'll stay with me?"

"Until the end." James said smiling.

"And he won't be able to see you?"

"No. We're here, you see." Sirius said.

Then she looked at her mum.

"Stay close to me." she said looking at her.

"Always." she said.

She put the stone down and headed to Voldemort.

When she got there she heard something.

"No sign of her, My Lord." someone said.

"I thought she'd come." Voldemort said and turned around.

Then he heard something and turned around. Then saw Harriet.

"Harriet, no! What're yeh doin' 'ere?" Hagrid said.

"Quiet!" someone said.

"Harriet Potter... The Girl Who Lived... come to die." Voldemort said.

Harriet shuther eyes and waited.

"_Avada Kedavra!_"

A few seconds later she found herself on the ground and looked around.

She stood up and heard something. Then she looked underneath the bench and jumped.

It was a small Voldemort.

"You can't help... Harriet, you're a wonderful girl... You brave, brave woman! Let us walk." Dumbledore said.

"Professor, what is that?" Harriet asked looking behind herself.

"Something beyond either of our help. A part of Voldemort sent here to die." he said.

"And exactly where are we?"

"I was gonna ask you that. Where would you say where we are?"

"Well, it looks like King's Cross station. Only cleaner... and without all the trains."

"King's Cross, is that right? This is as they say, 'your' party. I expect you now realize that you and Voldemort... have been connected by something other than fate. Since that night at Godric's Hollow all those years ago."

"So it's true then, sir. A part of him lives within me, doesn't it?"

"Did. It's been just destroyed many moments ago by none other than Voldemort himself. You, were the horcrux he never meant to make, Harriet."

They sat down and Harriet sighed.

"I have to go back, haven't I?" she said looking at Dumbledore.

"Oh, that's up to you." Dumbledore said.

"I've a choice?" she asked surprised.

"Oh, yeah! We're in King's Cross, you say. I think if so decide, you'll be able to board a train."

"And where will it take me?"

Dumbledore smiled.

"On."

Then Dumbledore stood up and turned around.

"Voldemort has the Elder Wand?" Harriet said.

"True."

"And the snake is still alive?"

"Yes."

"And I've nothing to kill it with?"

"Help will always be given at Hogwarts, Harriet. To those who ask for it. I've always pride of myself on my ability to turn a phrase. Words are, in my not so humble opinion... almost inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of inflicting injury and remedies. But I would in this case... amend my original statement to this: Help, will always be given at Hogwarts,

To those who deserve it. Do not pity the dead, Harriet... Pity the living. And above all... all those who live without love."

Then he turned back around.

"Professor, my mother's Patronus... was a doe. As the same as mine and Professor Snape's. It's curious, don't you think?" Harriet said.

"Actually, if I think about it... it doesn't seem curious at all! I'll be going now, Harriet."

"Professor? Is this all real? Or is it just happening inside my head?"

"Of course it's happening

inside your head, Harriet. Why should that mean, that it's not real?"

"Professor? What should I do? Professor!"

She decided to come back.

"My Lord, My Lord... Are you hurt?" Bellatrix said.

"I don't need your help." Voldemort said pushing her off of himself.

"The Girl... Is he dead?" she said.

Narcissa walked over to her and saw her breathing.

"Is he alive? Draco, is he alive?" she asked quietly.

She nodded.

Then she looked at Voldemort.

"Dead."

So they had Hagrid pick him up and then headed to Hogwarts.


	22. Chapter 22

When they got there Voldemort moved a dead troll out of his way.

When everyone saw him they froze.

"Ginny, who's that Hagrid's carrying? Ginny who is it?!" Neville asked.

"Harriet Potter, is dead!" Voldemort said.

"No! No!" he said running.

But Arthur pulled him back.

"Silent!" Voldemort yelled with the wand in his hand.

"Harriet Potter, is dead. And now it's the time to declare yourself. Come forward and join us... or die!" he said.

"Draco! Draco." Lucius said waving his hand.

"Draco. Come." Narcissa said.

He started to walk over to him and then Voldemort put his hands around him.

"Well done, Draco. Well done!"

Narcissa gently pushed him over a bit.

Then Neville came.

"Well I must say I hoped for better." Voldemort said.

People started laughing.

"And who might be young man?"

"Neville Longbottom." he said.

Bellatrix laughed.

"Well I'm sure we'll find a place for you Neville."

"I'd like to say something." he said.

"Well, Neville, I'm sure we'd all be fascinated to hear what you have to say."

"It doesn't matter that Harriet's gone." he started.

"Stand down Neville." Seamus said.

"People die every day! So is Fred, Remus, Tonks. Yeah, we lost Harriet tonight. All of them.

They didn't die in vain. But he's still with us. In here." he said with a hand on his heart.

Then he looked at Voldemort.

"Because you're wrong! Harriet's heart did beat for us. For all of us! It's not over!" he said with the sword in his hand.

Then Harriet jumped off Hagrid and took out his wand.

"_Confringo!_" Harriet said.

Then ran. Everyone laughed a little to Ron, Hermione and Neville.

"Come on! All stay in the castle. We have to kill the snake!" she said.

So they split up and looked for the snake. Harriet tried to keep Voldemort busy.

"Hey, you were right... when you told Professor Snape that wand was failing you. It was always fail..." Harriet said.

Then was hit in the face by Voldemort.

"I killed Snape!" he said.

"Yeah, but what if the wand never belonged to Snape?

What if its allegiance has always been with someone else? Oh, come on, Tom... Let's finish it the way we started."

Then Harriet grabbed his face.

"Together!"

Then they started to fall on the ground. When they stood up Harriet saw Voldemort feeling something and smirked.

Then the people were all standing there quietly. Everyone had been close.

The crowd was afraid, and silence fell abruptly and completely as Voldemort and Harriet looked at each other, and began, at the same moment, to circle each other.

"I don't want anyone else to help," Harriet said loudly, and in the total silence her voice carried like a trumpet call. "It's got to be like this. It's got to be me."

She looked specifically at Neville.

Voldemort hissed.

"Potter doesn't mean that," he said, his red eyes wide. "This isn't how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?"

"Nobody," said Harriet simply. "There are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good. . . ."

"One of us?" jeered Voldemort, and his whole body was taut and his red eyes stared, a snake that was about to strike. "You think it will be you, do you, the boy who has survived by accident, and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings?"

"Accident, was it, when my mother died to save me?" asked Harriet.

They were still moving sideways, both of them, in that perfect circle, maintaining the same distance from each other, and for Harriet no face existed but Voldemort's.

"Accident, when I decided to fight in that graveyard? Accident, that I didn't defend myself tonight, and still survived, and returned to fight again?"

"Accidents!" screamed Voldemort, but still he did not strike, and the watching crowd was frozen as if Petrified, and of the hundreds in the Hall, nobody seemed to breathe but they two.

"Accident and chance and the fact that you crouched and snivelled behind the skirts of greater men and women, and permitted me to kill them for you!"

"You won't be killing anyone else tonight," said Harriet as they circled, and stared into each other's eyes, green into red.

"You won't be able to kill any of them ever again. Don't you get it? I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people - "

"But you did not!"

" - I meant to, and that's what did it. I've done what my mother did. They're protected from you. Haven't you noticed how none of the spells you put on them are binding? You can't torture them. You can't touch them. You don't learn from your mistakes, Riddle, do you?"

"You dare -"

"Yes, I dare," said Harriet. "I know things you don't know, Tom Riddle. I know lots of important things that you don't. Want to hear some, before you make another big mistake?"

Voldemort did not speak, but prowled in a circle, and Harriet knew that he kept him temporarily mesmerized at bay, held back by the faintest possibility that Harriet might indeed know a final secret. . . .

"Is it love again?" said Voldemort, his snake's face jeering. "Dumbledore favourite solution, love, which he claimed conquered death, though love did not stop him falling from the tower and breaking like and old waxwork? Love, which did not prevent me stamping out your Mudblood mother like a cockroach, Potter - and nobody seems to love you enough to run forward this time and take my curse. So what will stop you dying now when I strike?"

"Just one thing," said Harriet, and still they circled each other, wrapped in each other, held apart by nothing but the last secret.

"If it is not love that will save you this time," said Voldemort, "you must believe that you have magic that I do not, or else a weapon more powerful than mine?"

"I believe both," said Harriet, and he saw shock flit across the snakelike face, though it was instantly dispelled; Voldemort began to laugh, and the sound was more frightening than his screams; humourless and insane, it echoed around the silent Hall.

"You think you know more magic than I do?" he said. "Than I, than Lord Voldemort, who has performed magic that Dumbledore himself never dreamed of?"

"Oh he dreamed of it," said Harriet, "but he knew more than you, knew enough not to do what you've done."

"You mean he was weak!" screamed Voldemort. "Too weak to dare, too weak to take what might have been his, what will be mine!"

"No, he was cleverer than you," said Harriet, "a better wizard, a better man."

"I brought about the death of Albus Dumbledore!"

"You thought you did," said Harriet, "but you were wrong."

For the first time, the watching crowd stirred as the hundreds of people around the walls drew breath as one.

"Dumbledore is dead!" Voldemort hurled the words at Harriet as though they would cause him unendurable pain.

"His body decays in the marble tomb in the grounds of this castle, I have seen it, Potter, and he will not return!"

"Yes, Dumbledore is dead," said Harriet calmly, "but you didn't have him killed. He chose his own manner of dying, chose it months before he died, arranged the whole thing with the man you thought was your servant."

"What childish dream is this?" said Voldemort, but still he did not strike, and his red eyes did not waver from Harriet's.

"Severus Snape wasn't yours," said Harriet. "Snape was Dumbledore's. Dumbledore's from the moment you starting hunting down my mother. And you never realised it, because of the thing you can't understand. You never saw Snape cast a Patronus, did you, Riddle?"

Voldemort did not answer. They continued to circle each other like wolves about to tear each other apart.

"Snape's Patronus was a doe," said Harriet, "the same as me and my mother's, because he loved her for nearly all of his life, from the time when they were children. You should have realised," she said as she saw Voldemort's nostrils flare, "he asked you to spare her life, didn't he?"

"He desired her, that was all," sneered Voldemort, "but when she had gone, he agreed that there were other women, and of purer blood, worthier of him - "

"Of course he told you that," said Harriet, "but he was Dumbledore's spy from the moment you threatened her, and he's been working against you ever since! Dumbledore was already dying when Snape finished him!"

"It matters not!" shrieked Voldemort, who had followed every word with rapt attention, but now let out a cackle of mad laughter. "It matters not whether Snape was mine or Dumbledore's, or what petty obstacles they tried to put in my path!"

"Dumbledore was trying to keep the Elder Wand from me! He intended that Snape should be the true master of the wand! But I got there ahead of you, little girl- I reached the wand before you could get your hands on it; I understood the truth before you caught up. I killed Severus Snape three hours ago, and the Elder Wand, the Deathstick, the Wand of Destiny is truly mine! Dumbledore's last plan went wrong, Harriet Potter!"

"Yeah, it did." said Harriet. "You're right. But before you try to kill me, I'd advise you think what you've done... Think, and try for some remorse, Riddle. . . ."

"What is this?"

Of all the things that Harriet had said to him, beyond any revelation or taunt, nothing had socked Voldemort like this. Harriet saw is pupils contract to thin slits, saw the skin around his eyes whiten.

"It's your one last chance," said Harriet, "it's all you've got left. . . . I've seen what you'll be otherwise. . . . Be a man. . . try. . . Try for some remorse. . . ."

"You dare - ?" said Voldemort again.

"Yes, I dare," said Harriet, "because Dumbledore's last plan hasn't backfired on me at all. It's backfired on you, Riddle."

Voldemort's hand was trembling on the Elder Wand, and Harriet gripped Draco's very tightly. The moment, she knew, was seconds away.

"That wand still isn't working properly for you because you murdered the wrong person. Severus Snape was never the true master of the Elder Wand. He never defeated Dumbledore."

"He killed - "

"Aren't you listening? Snape never beat Dumbledore! Dumbledore's death was planned between them! Dumbledore intended to die, undefeated, the wand's last true master! If all had gone as planned, the wand's power would have died with him, because it had never been won from him!"

"But then, Potter, Dumbledore as good as gave me the wand!" Voldemort's voice shook with malicious pleasure. "I stole the wand from its last master's tomb! I removed it against the last master's wishes! Its power is mine!"

"You still don't get it, Riddle, do you? Possessing the wand isn't enough! Holding it, using it, doesn't make it really yours. Didn't you listen to Ollivander? The wand chooses the wizard . . . The Elder Wand recognized a new master before Dumbledore died, someone who never even laid a hand on it. The new master removed the wand from Dumbledore against his will, never realizing exactly what he had done, or that the world's most dangerous wand had given him its allegiance . . ."

Voldemort's chest rose and fell rapidly, and Harriet could feel the curse coming, feel it building inside the wand pointed at his face.

"The true master of the Elder Wand was Draco Malfoy."

Blank shock showed in Voldemort's face for a moment, but then it was gone.

"But what does it matter?" he said softly. "Even if you are right, Potter, it makes no difference to you and me. You no longer have the phoenix wand: We duel on skill alone . . . and after I have killed you, I can attend to Draco Malfoy . . ."

"But you're too late," said Harriet. "You've missed your chance. I got there first. I overpowered Draco weeks ago. I took his wand from him."

Harriet twitched the hawthorn wand, and he felt the eyes of everyone in the Hall upon it.

"So it all comes down to this, doesn't it?" whispered Harriet. "Does the wand in your hand know its last master was Disarmed? Because if it does . . . I am the true master of the Elder Wand."

A red-glow burst suddenly across the enchanted sky above them as an edge of dazzling sun appeared over the sill of the nearest window. The light hit both of their faces at the same time, so that Voldemort's was suddenly a flaming blur. Harriet heard the high voice shriek as she too yelled her best hope to the heavens, pointing Draco's wand:

"_Avada Kedavra!_"

"_Expelliarmus!_"

The bang was like a cannon blast, and the golden flames that erupted between them, at the dead centre of the circle they had been treading, marked the point where the spells collided.

Harriet saw Voldemort's green jet meet his own spell, saw the Elder Wand fly high, dark against the sunrise, spinning across the enchanted ceiling like the head of Nagini, spinning through the air toward the master it would not kill, who had come to take full possession of it at last.

And Harriet, with the unerring skill of the Seeker, caught the wand in her free hand as Voldemort fell backward, arms splayed, the slit pupils of the scarlet eyes rolling upward.

Tom Riddle hit the floor with a mundane finality, his body feeble and shrunken, the white hands empty, the snakelike face vacant and unknowing.

Voldemort was dead, killed by his own rebounding curse, and Harriet stood with two wands in her hand, staring down at her enemy's shell.

One shivering second of silence, the shock of the moment suspended: and then the tumult broke around Harriet as the screams and the cheers and the roars of the watchers rent the air.

The fierce new sun dazzled the windows as they thundered toward her, and the first to reach her were Neville, Ron and Hermione, and it was their arms that were wrapped around her, their incomprehensible shouts that deafened her.

Then Ginny, Dean, and Luna were there, and then all the Weasleys and Hagrid, and Kingsley and McGonagall and Flitwick and Sprout, and Harriet could not hear a word that anyone was shouting, not tell whose hands were seizing her, pulling her, trying to hug some part of her, hundreds of them pressing in, all of them determined to touch the Girl Who Lived, the reason it was over at last –

The sun rose steadily over Hogwarts, and the Great Hall blazed with life and light. Harriet was an indispensible part of the mingled outpourings of jubilation and mourning, of grief and celebration.

They wanted her there with them, their leader and symbol, their savoir and their guide, and that she had not slept, that she craved the company of only a few of them, seemed to occur to no one. She must speak to the bereaved, clasp their hands, witness their tears, receive their thanks, hear the news now creeping in from every quarter as the morning drew on; that the Imperiused up and down the country had come back to themselves, that Death Eaters were fleeing or else being captured, that the innocent of Azkaban were being released at that very moment, and that Kingsley Shacklebolt had been named temporary Minister of Magic.

They moved Voldemort's body and laid it in a chamber off the Hall, away form the bodies of Fred, Tonks, Remus, Colin Creevey, and fifty others who had died fighting him.

McGonagall had replaced the House tables, not nobody was sitting according to House anymore: All were jumbled together, teachers and pupils, ghosts and parents, people were throwing food into his laughing mouth.

After a while, exhausted and drained, Harriet found herself sitting on a bench beside Neville.

She looked at him and smiled.

"Why don't we go find Ron and Hermione. Then go to Dumbledore's office where it's quiet?" she said.

He nodded, took her hand and then they looked for their friends.

When they found them they went to Dumbledore's office.


	23. Chapter 23

When they got there they heard paintings clapping and Dumbledore smiling.

Dexter Fortescue was waving his ear-trumpet; and Phineas Niggelus called, in his high, reedy voice, "And let it be noted that Slytherin House played its part! Let our contribution not be forgotten!"

But Harriet had eyes only for the man who stood in the largest portrait directly behind the headmaster's chair.

Tears were sliding down from behind the half-moon spectacles into the long silver beard, and the pride and the gratitude emanating from him filled Harriet with the same balm as phoenix song.

At last, Harriet held up her hands, and the portraits fell respectfully silent, beaming and mopping their eyes and waiting eagerly for her to speak. She directed her words at Dumbledore, however, and chose them with enormous care.

Still tired and bleary-eyed though she was, she must make one last effort, seeking one last piece of advice.

"The thing that was hidden in the Snitch," she began, "I dropped it in the forest. I don't exactly know where, but I'm not going to go looking for it again. Do you agree?"

"My dear girl, I do," said Dumbledore, while his fellow pictures looked confused and curious. "A wise and courageous decision, but no less than I would have expected of you. Does anyone know else know where it fell?"

"No one," said Harriet, and Dumbledore nodded his satisfaction.

"I'm going to keep Ignotus's present, though," said Harriet, and Dumbledore beamed.

"But of course, Harriet, it is yours forever, until you pass it on!"

"And then there's this."

Harriet held up the Elder Wand, and Neville, Ron and Hermione looked at it with a reverence.

"I don't want it." said Harriet.

"What?" said Ron loudly. "Are you mental?"

"I know it's powerful," said Harriet wearily. "But I was happier with mine. So . . ."

She rummaged in the pouch hung around her neck, and pulled out the two halves of holly still just connected by the finest threat of phoenix feather.

She laid the broken wand upon the headmaster's desk, touched it with the very tip of the Elder Wand, and said,

_"Reparo."_

As her wand resealed, red sparks flew out of its end.. She picked up the holly and phoenix wand and felt a sudden warmth in her fingers, as though wand and hand were rejoicing at their reunion.

"I'm putting the Elder Wand," he told Dumbledore, who was watching him with enormous affection and admiration, "back where it came from. It can stay there. If I die a natural death like Ignotus, its power will be broken, won't it? The previous master will never have been defeated. That'll be the end of it."

Dumbledore nodded. They smiled at each other.

"Are you sure?" said Ron.

There was the faintest trace of longing in his voice as he looked at the Elder Wand.

"I think Harriet's right," said Neville quietly.

"That wand's more trouble than it's worth." said Harriet.

"And quite honestly," she turned away from the painted portraits, thinking now only of the four-poster bed lying waiting for her in Gryffindor Tower, and wondering whether Kreacher might bring her a sandwich there, "I've had enough trouble for a lifetime."

Chapter 22

It had been a week since the end of the war. Harriet now lives with Neville and Augusta at Longbottom Manor. She and Neville were going to move into Grimauld Place next year. Kingsley had offered former Hogwarts students the job of being an auror.

Harriet had rejected Kingsley's offer and wanted to finishing school and go back to her _true _home.

Because she was going back to school Kreacher was going to stay at Hogwarts and stay with his Mistress.

Neville and Hermione are going back to school to.

Neville for a mixture of finishing school, staying with Harriet after losing so many people she loved and making his parents and gran proud of him.

Hermione was no surprise because they all knew she was a bookworm and was glad at least Harriet and Neville were coming back to finish school.

Ron accepted Kingsley's offer so he could start working and so he didn't have to go back to school.

They had each gotten an Order of Merlin also. Harriet got first class. Hermione and Neville second class and Ron third class.

Ron had gotten third because he had left the other three of them when they promised to work together.

Harriet had gotten first class because she was the leader of the new quartet and savior of the wizarding world.

She had pretty much taken control of Hogwarts when they came back until she had defeated Voldemort.

Neville and Hermione had gotten second class for sticking with her and helping her defeat him.

Harriet had gotten Peter and Remus buried at Godrics Hollow with her parents and even though he had been gone through the veil she still got one for Sirius. Tonks, like Lilly was doing with James, was laying next to Remus.

Harriet and Neville were standing in front of the four Marauders right now.

Harriet stood there leaning on Neville. While she did that he rubbed her back gently and slowly.

The graves said,

I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good

Messers Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are proud to present the Marauders.

For the last time, Mischief Managed

Harriet had made it herself. Her eyes started to water while she looked at them. Then she shut her eyes tightly, fought the tears and sniffled.

Then Neville put her in his arms and she started to cry.

Neville felt bad for her because she had lost her parents, godfather and her 'uncle'. She had told Remus that she started to consider him as an uncle and Sirius as a father.

While she cried Neville did the best he could calming her down.

"Don't worry, you'll always have me, gran, the Weasley's, Hermione and the other Gryffindor's. Even the Professors." he said.

Then he gave her a kiss and she started to calm down.

"I know but I lost almost everyone I loved! I love you, Hermione, the Weasley's and our Gryffindor's to but you're not my parents. All the Weasley's considers me as a non-biological Weasley and I love them as parents, brothers and sister. But I wish I had my _real _parents and my aunt and uncle loved me like they do Dudley."

"I know. How about we go grab something to eat and then we can go home. Sound good?" he said.

She whipped her eyes then nodded.

When they got somewhere they sat there in silence. Then Neville thought of something.

"Can you believe they made us four chocolate frog cards? I know Ron likes it but both me and Hermione don't really like it. How do you feel about it?"

"I don't really like it either. But I'll let them do it anyway. I know they're not going to give up on that. I also know I'm going to get a _lot _more attention than I did on Halloween 1981. I still can't believe a _72_ year old lost to a _17 _year old. Not to mention a _girl_!" she said.

They started laughing.

"I know! And we still haven't finished school yet!" he said.

After dinner they went back to Longbottom Manor.

Augusta was in the living room reading a book when she heard the door open. Then she looked up and saw Neville and Harriet.

"Hello you two, how was dinner?" she asked.

"It was good." Harriet said.

"Yeah, it was good. Had some dinner in the muggle world so Harriet could relax and calm down." Neville said.

She saw Harriet's eyes were still a little red and remembered they were going to Godrics Hallow.

"Alright, you look tired so why don't you go to bed."

They nodded and went upstairs.

"Night Harriet." Neville said and gave her a kiss.

"Night Neville." she said.

As the summer went on they all worked on getting Hogwarts put together again. Since Harriet was Lady of two old and rich families she helped pay for the school as did Neville and most of the other families.

She would go visit Teddy and Andy on weekends. On the funeral of them all she took care of Teddy for Andy all day and he spent the night with her so Andy could calm down a bit.

Harriet and Neville decided to celebrate their birthday on Harriet's birthday because they're only a day apart.

Harriet had gotten him a book about herbology, he had gotten her a necklace with a picture of them together. And Mrs. Weasley had given them both a Weasley sweater since they missed Christmas.

Madam Pumfry had forced the four of them to get looked at when they had gotten some rest and three out of four of them looked fine.

The other one on the other hand, Harriet was forced to eat, drink, rest and take her nutrients potions everyday. Madam Pumfry had given her a complete check up like she had wanted to since her second year.

When she found out what had happened to her she was shocked that Harriet could hide all that from everyone without a glamour everyday.

She had told her that she was worse than James and Sirius put together during quidditch games. That got Ron, Hermione and Neville to burst out laughing. Ron and Neville knew the two Gryffindor's quidditch history from Ron's parents, Neville's gran, Remus and Sirius.

Harriet had found out about them from mostly Remus and Sirius.

Neville had swore to not tell anyone about Harriet's childhood and continued to do so. Harriet had forced Madam Pumfry to do the same thing or she'll hex her into next year.

Even _she _knew Harriet is a strong young witch and to never get her to mad.


	24. Chapter 24

Before they knew it they were at Kings Cross station. Ron was there because Ginny was still in school.

"Promise you'll write to me?" Ron said.

"We promise. Don't worry Ron, we'll be fine. Voldemort is gone so it's not still war." Hermione said.

Then she gave him a kiss.

"She's right Ron, we finished him for good." Harriet said.

"Really it was you. We just helped take care of the horcruxes while you dueled him and won." Neville said.

Ginny and Hermione nodded while Harriet rolled her eyes but turned red a little.

"Whatever."

Then the train went off.

"Well, we better get on the train. See you on Christmas break!" Hermione said.

Then they headed to the train. Harriet sat next to Neville while Hermione sat next to Ginny.

"This is going to be a good year. Probably hard and a repeat of your first year though Harriet." Ginny said.

She smiled and shook her head.

"I'm used to it. It's going to be hard but I'll get used to it like first year. McGonagall said I can get back to captain and seeker for Gryffindor this year."

"Great! We can win the cup again!" Neville said.

"Yeah! It wasn't the same without quidditch last year." Ginny said.

"I bet." Hermione said.

"I heard McGonagall got rid of Binns." Neville said.

"FINALLY!" Harriet, Hermione and Ginny said together.

"I know, maybe this Professor will be good. Same with our defense Professor." Hermione said.

"Even though the war is over are you gonna get the DA back together this year?" Ginny asked.

"You _really _want me to get the team back together don't you?" she said.

They nodded smiling.

"I don't think I have anything to teach you anymore. I taught you all everything I knew fifth year. And besides, maybe this year will be better."

"But you studied defense _all _summer!" Neville said.

Harriet turned bright red.

"You learned spells we never learned!" he said.

She sighed. "I'll think about it."

They all smiled and nodded.


	25. Chapter 25

When they were having dinner they met up with their other seventh years. Not everyone came back but some people did.

Harriet had told the DA members she'll think about getting back together this year.

They all smiled and nodded.

When they were at the Gryffindor Common Room they told Harriet, Neville and Hermione what they missed last year and what they were taught.

When they heard the torture curse all three of them twitched for a second. Neville could tell Harriet was fighting to twitch more. He knew she had used it twice, been hit by it five times in three years. He squeezed her hand causing her to jump for a second.

Then she calmed down when she saw Neville's hand. When she heard the killing curse that got her to zone out for a second and twitch.

"Harriet? You ok?" Dean asked.

She slowly nodded.

Neville sighed and put her in his arms to help her calm down.

Hermione was worried about her friend knowing she had been hit and heard it to many times.

"Why don't we just get some sleep?" Hermione said.

They all nodded and split up. Neville wanted to talk to Harriet first.

"You ok?" he asked.

"Just to many reminders of the war and my life." she said.

He nodded. "If you're sure."

"Yeah, I'm gonna go get some sleep. See you tomorrow." she said and gave him a kiss.

The next day they were having breakfast and looking at their schedule. Harriet was exhausted from getting no sleep but after years of experience she was able to stay awake.

"We've got potions, charms, transfigurations and Defense Against the Dark Arts." Hermione said.

"Want to sit together like we used to?" Harriet asked.

"Sounds good." Hermione said.

"Sure." Neville said.

"It feels weird not having Ron and listening to him eating." Hermione said.

They started laughing and then nodded.

"The first year without the daily Ron and Hermione fight." Harriet said.

Neville burst out laughing and was on the ground. So was a lot of other people that knew the daily fight.

"Oh my ribs!" Seamus said.

"Someone give me a calming potion!" Neville said.

Harriet was laughing the hardest though.

Some of the Professors even heard them and chuckled, especially McGonagall. She could remember their history.

After breakfast they headed to potions. Harriet had Neville's hand in her hand while they walked. Slughorn was still there teaching potions.

They were busy all day with class and Harriet was planning on schedule for the Gryffindor quidditch team.

Throughout the year things went by fine. Harriet had agreed to get Dumbledore's Army back together for one more year. They worked hard during her classes and quidditch practice was going by fine. Gryffindor had won every game with Harriet back.

Before they knew it they were on their way home for Christmas break.

"I can't believe it's already Christmas break." Neville said.

"I know, I can't believe we haven't gotten a lot of detentions this year or break any rules while trying to save England." Harriet said.

Hermione and Neville nodded.

"I know, it's great but not the same." Hermione said.

Harriet nodded. "I don't know whether I'm happy or upset not having a mystery to answer."

"I know, I kind of liked it." Hermione said.

Sure enough they were at Kings Cross station.

Harriet and Neville found his gran and Hermione and Ginny found Mrs. Weasley.

"Hi gran." Neville said.

"Hello Neville, Harriet, how are you doing?" Augusta asked smiling.

"We're doing fine Mrs. Longbottom." Harriet said.

"Ready to get home?" she said smiling.

"I am!" Neville said.

"Yeah." Harriet said.

So they headed home.

The next day they were going to see the Weasley's. Harriet, Neville and Hermione were excited to see their friend and so is Ron.

When they got there they sat down in the living room while Mrs. Weasley went to get Ron.

"Hi guys." Ron said when he got downstairs.

"Ron!" Harriet and Neville said together.

Then Harriet gave him a hug and Neville gave him a pat on the back.

"How you doing?" Ron said.

"We're doing good. Feeling weird without you being with us, no detentions and no mysteries this year. Me and Hermione actually started to like doing them. I started third year and Hermione first year. Remember what she said on the Three Broomstick meeting fifth year?"

"Yeah, I actually started liking them fifth year to because of our group. I heard you brought it back this year." he said.

"Yeah, I got some more advanced defense books and started to teach them what I learned. Back in the Room of Requirements with our owl." she said.

"How does it feel being an auror?" Neville asked.

"It's actually pretty cool. Hard work but still pretty cool." he said.

"Good. I've been thinking about just teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts if McGonagall hirers me. I told her I'd teach DADA when Jameson retires." Harriet said.

"I plan on doing the same thing with herbology when Sprout retires." Neville said.

"You two would make great Professors. Especially you Harriet after teaching us so much." Ron said.

She turned bright red. "I don't know about that." she said.

Neville rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Yes you are. You're better than Remus and Mad-eye put together!" he said.

After he said that he regretted doing that and saw her wince while she fought the tears. She decided to fight the tears this year and be the fighter they all know. Not many people know that she started crying when she started going out with Neville her fourth year. Really only her fellow Gryffindor's know about that from Neville being one.

In the beginning most of the school were wondering how he became a Gryffindor. But when he started going out with Harriet they noticed he was starting to get braver. They also noticed that Harriet was starting to get more emotional but still fought most of her emotions. Especially their fellow Gryffindor's.

Hermione and Ron were thrilled he was able to get some out of her. She was still hard to get her to let it out from her Dursley history for sixteen years straight though.

While the break went on the four of them had fun being back together. Harriet and Neville got the Weasley sweater like everyone else that was with the Weasley's. She got Neville, Ron and Hermione a book with pictures of them like Hagrid gave her. School pictures and outside of school pictures.

Throughout the year it was going by good. Harriet was second best at everything except Defense Against the Dark Arts. She was still the top of her year at that.

Neville was third best except herbology. Like Harriet is for Defense Against the Dark Arts he's top of their year at herbology.

Before they knew it they were at graduation. Petunia Evans, Dudley Evans, Andy, Teddy, Augusta and the the Weasley's were there for Harriet, Neville and Hermione.

While McGonagall started talking Harriet was sitting in between Hermione and Neville. She was sitting there quietly.

"Harriet? You ok?" Neville asked.

She sighed and nodded.

"Just thinking about how much I wish my parents, Sirius and Remus could be here. I know aunt Petunia and Dudley are here but I still wish my mum and dad were here."

"I wish mine were here too. At least your aunt and cousin are here and you have Gran, the Weasley's, Andy and Teddy there for you! And you know how big of a family the Weasley's are!" he said.

That got Harriet, Hermione and himself to laugh. Then they calmed down.

As the years went on Hermione was working for the ministry, Ron was still an auror and Harriet and Neville had been offered a job at Hogwarts.

They were on a date right now and Neville was a little nervous because he was going to propose to her.

Harriet was downstairs waiting for him while he was standing there thinking.

"I can do this. I asked her out and she accepted it, I asked her to be my girlfriend and she accepted that our fourth year. I know she's going to accept this." he said.

Then he double checked to make sure he had the ring. He smiled when he had it. Then he went downstairs.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Yup, you?" she asked.

"Yeah." he said.

They were going out to dinner and then going for a walk after.

Neville had a little trouble staying calm right while they ate but hid it pretty fair. Harriet could catch anything though.

"Nev, you ok?" she said.

"Yeah I'm fine. You ready to go for a walk?"

"Yeah. Who's paying?"

"I got it this time." he said.

She nodded and when they were all set they went on their walk.

Harriet was holding his hand and was feeling a little worried. Without her knowing they stopped.

"Neville, what's wrong?"

He took a deep breath and looked at her. Then he went down on one knee and took out the box.

"Nev, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Harriet, we've been together since fourth year and you made me a brave person. I finally got you to start letting it out. I was wondering. Harriet Lilly Potter, will you marry me?"

She stood there in shock for a second but nodded.

"Yes."

Neville smiled then put the ring on her finger. She looked at it then gave him a kiss.

"I love it." she said.

"I wonder how long it will take for London and the Prophet to find out." Neville said chuckling.

"The way London gets out, a week tops." she said.


End file.
